OWENSBORO, Ky. (Nov. 30) – A three pointer with five seconds left in the game dealt the Cardinals a 77-74 loss to close out the Kentucky Wesleyan Thanksgiving Classic Saturday afternoon.
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The loss snaps Wheeling University's five-game winning-streak to start the season and sends it to 5-1 overall. The Cardinals were playing their second game in 14 hours after defeating Kentucky Wesleyan the night prior. Meanwhile, the Dragons improve to 5-3 overall this season.
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Both sophomore
Jay Gentry (Milwaukee, Wisc./Brown Deer) and junior
Jordan Reid (Silver Spring, Md./Albert Einstein) posted over 20 points. Gentry led the team with 25, while Reid poured in 23 in the loss. Junior guard
Jarett Haines (Bronx, N.Y./New Rochelle) also added 11 points and five assists in the loss.
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Wheeling controlled the early stages of the game and led by as many as 17 points. With the score 27-10 at the 7:24-mark, Tiffin managed to out-score Wheeling 19-2 over the next six minutes to tie the game up at 29-29 with 1:45 left in the first half. A pair of baskets by Gentry in the final two minutes managed to give Wheeling a 34-29 lead heading into halftime.
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Both teams exchanged the lead down the stretch. Tiffin built its biggest lead of the night at 71-65 with 2:54 left in the game and appeared to be headed towards an easy victory. The Cardinals managed to go on a 9-1 run, including a go-ahead layup by Reid with 32 seconds left on the clock to take a 74-72 lead.
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Tiffin took a timeout and drained a corner trey to take a 75-74 lead with five seconds left on the clock. The Dragons got a turnover and knocked down a pair of free throws to compete the win and deal Wheeling its first loss of the season.
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Tiffin was led by Jordan Wesley's 19 points and nine rebounds in the win.
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Wheeling heads to Elkins, West Virginia on Wednesday, December 4 for a Mountain East Conference (MEC) game at 7:30 p.m.
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