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18 mbb mec quarter header
Sam Santilli
58
WISE WISE 14-16
72
Winner WJU WJU 24-5
WISE WISE
14-16
58
Final
72
WJU WJU
24-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
WISE WISE 28 30 58
WJU WJU 46 26 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Myers

Cardinals Turn Up Defense to Stymie Cavaliers, Advance to MEC Semis

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Cardinals defense turned up heat and stymied the Cavaliers attack. Wheeling Jesuit held The University of Virginia's College at Wise scoreless over 6:04 of the second half and earned the Mountain East Conference Semifinals first spot of the Friday afternoon session.
 
Behind three-straight Taiwo Badmus 3-pointers, the Cavaliers (14-16) raced out of the halftime with 17 of the first 20 points and cut an 18-point deficit down to six, 51-45, in the first 4:49. The Cardinals (24-5) reestablished themselves out of the first media timeout when Haywood Highsmith found a cutting Brendan Hoban in the lane and then made his own bucket after an offensive rebound to start a 16-3 game-deciding run to build a 67-48 lead at 4:18 remaining.
 
"It was a real hard-fought win for us. I am really proud of my team. Defensively, we locked them down and they are a team that is hard to guard – (Michal) Seals is hard to keep in front and Taiwo (Badmus) is such a
9258
Haywood Highsmith - MEC Player of the Year
tweener. We worked hard on those two guys as we knew limiting Seals opportunities was big," said WJU head coach Danny Sancomb. "Offensively, we did enough to get to 71 (points). When we are locked in defensively, if we get to 60, we have a good chance to win the game."
 
For the third year in a row, WJU moves on to the MEC Tournament Semifinals. The No. 2 seeded Cardinals, though, will face an unexpected foe. The No. 6 seed Concord upset No. 3 Fairmont State, 89-84. WJU takes on Concord Saturday night at 8:15 p.m.
 
The MEC Player of the Year Highsmith proved he was more than deserving of the award. The senior forward did not have his best game offensively, but he still hit for 20 points to go with 18 rebounds, three assists, a blocked shot and three steals.
 
Highsmith had to lead a team down by his close friend and All-MEC First Team honoree Pat Moseh, who did not play.
 
"I told him I would do all in my power to win the (MEC Tournament) trophy. We have to play for Pat," pointed out Highsmith. "I worked so hard over the summers to be the best player I can be (of his winning the Player of the Year award)."
 
Highsmith saw plenty of company from his teammates, who had strong performances in the victory over UVa.-Wise.
 
All-MEC Second Team awardee Preston Boswell drained a pair of triples as part of his 19-point day, while he grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. He also assisted on three buckets and swiped two more balls.
 
"I knew I and Drake (Goddard), Brent (Pegram) and Brendan (Hoban) would have to create big more without Pat," added Boswell.
 
Goddard, the steady senior, hit for eight points, pulled down five rebounds and dished three assists. Hoban chipped in five points, including a trey.
 
Another key off the WJU bench was Ryan Cooper. The 6-8 junior posted his first double-double of the year with 10 points, all in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers, and grabbed 10 rebounds with eight in the opening 20 minutes.
 
"With Pat (Moseh) out, we told our guards they needed to rebound (and they did)," added Sancomb. "Ryan Cooper was spectacular off the bench today and Brendan Hoban had great efficiency."
 
After a Cardinals surge and a Cavaliers answer, the game was tied at 15 with 5:51 elapsed. UVa.-Wise enjoyed its final lead with two Ricardo Hill, Jr., free throws to make it 17-15, before a Goddard triple started and a Hoban 3-pointer ended an 8-0 spurt for a 25-17 lead.
 
WJU added a 12-0 run in the final six minutes of the first half to turn a six-point lead into an 18-point advantage, 41-23, at 2:08 on a Boswell running jumper in the lane. Boswell beat the buzzer with another runner right for the 46-28 halftime lead.
 
As a team, WJU dominated the boards, 55-38, with 20 offensive rebounds, and held UVa.-Wise to 32-percent from the floor (21 of 65).
 
 
-GoCards-
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