WJU 'Red-Out' Set for Saturday MEC Clash Against Fairmont State

By: Michael McDonald

Men's Basketball | 2/5/2016 12:46:00 PM

Women's Game: CardinalCast Video / Live Stats

Men's Game: CardinalCast Video / Live Stats

WHEELING, W.Va. – The 'Red-Out' sirens are blaring! If you are a WJU fan, show your support by donning Cardinals red for Saturday's Mountain East Conference basketball showdown!

For fans of the game of basketball, the court action does not get any better in the Ohio Valley. The cream of the MEC crop will be on display on the McDonough Center hardwood when three of the top four conference teams battle.

In the opener, the Fairmont State women (15-6/9-6 MEC) face D2SIDA Media Poll's No. 17 and MEC co-leader WJU (18-3/13-2 MEC) at 2 p.m.

On the men's matchup, it will be NCAA DII's marquee's game. The No. 2 Falcons (19-2/13-2 MEC) take on the host No. 4 Cardinals (21-1/14-1 MEC) in a Battle for MEC Supremacy!

The WJU athletics department will also honor Catholic Schools Week Saturday. All area Catholic School kids, kindergarten through eighth grade, wearing their school shirts will receive free admission to the games.

Women's Basketball:
Host Wheeling Jesuit comes into the contest with an overall record of 18-3 and a 13-2 slate in MEC play. The Cardinals share the top spot in the conference standings with West Liberty University.

The Fairmont State Falcons women's basketball team enters with a record of 15-6 and 9-6 in the MEC, which is good for sole possession of fifth place.

WJU took the first meeting, 53-49, in Fairmont. Senior guard Jaila Bryant led the Cardinals with 16 points and nine rebounds, as eight different Cardinals scored on the night. The Cardinals, who rank as the MEC's best scoring defense, held the Falcons to 49 points on 26.2 percent shooting back in December.

The two teams met three times a year ago. Fairmont first beat the Cardinals, 87-79, in Wheeling on January 8 before WJU gained revenge on February 12, beating the Falcons 68-64.

The two teams then squared off in the first round of the MEC tournament held in Charleston, WV where the Cardinals prevailed 85-76 over the Falcons. Bryant notched 23 points and collected seven boards in the contest.

Leading players for WJU:
Jaila Bryant – 15.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game

Mariah Callen – 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game

Chenelle Moore – 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds per game

Jaana Motton – 9.2 points, 6.9 rebounds per game

Leading players for Fairmont State:
Amanda Ruffner – 16 points, 5.4 rebounds per game

Makenzie White – 15.4 points, 6.6 rebounds per game

Emily Puskarich – 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds per game

Deidra Combs – 10.8 points, 6.2 rebounds per game

Men's Basketball:
Wheeling Jesuit looks to avenge its lone loss of the season, 94-91, on December 3 against the No. 2 ranked Falcons. The Cardinals have since rattled off 16 straight wins and hold a record of 21-1, 14-1 in the MEC.

Fairmont State comes off an 84-77 loss against No. 6 ranked West Liberty Thursday night, and holds a record of 19-2/13-2 in the Mountain East.

The story of the season for WJU thus far has been a balanced attack. Five Cardinals are averaging 13 or more points, making playing defense a very difficult task for any opponent.

Senior Justin Fritts led WJU with 21 points in its lone loss against Fairmont. Pat Moseh, Eric Siefert, and Haywood Highsmith added 19, 17, and 16 points respectively. Fairmont State managed to shoot 46 percent (12-26) from behind the arc, leading to its three-point victory.

WJU dropped two of the three meetings between the two teams a year ago. The Cardinals fell 75-69 on January 8 before evening the series at one apiece on February 12 with an 88-70 victory. Fairmont took the deciding contest in the MEC semifinals, 73-63, over WJU.

The Cardinals enter the contest with the second best field goal percentage, .490, in the MEC. They also are second in the league in field goal percentage defense at .421 percent. The Cardinals lead the MEC in rebounding margin at 8.0.

Eric Siefert, Haywood Highsmith, Justin Fritts, and Pat Moseh are all in the Top-25 in scoring within the Mountain East. Highsmith is fourth in the MEC with 9.7 rebounds per game.

Leading players for WJU:
Eric Siefert – 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists per game

Haywood Highsmith – 13.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game

Justin Fritts – 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game

Pat Moseh – 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists

Kyle Ritz – 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds per game

Leading players for Fairmont State:
Matt Bingaya – 20.1 points, 7.3 rebounds per game

Jamel Morris – 13.2 points, 2.9 rebounds per game

Thomas Wimbush – 10.3 points, 5.4 rebounds per game

Jason Jolly – 9.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game

-GoCards-