Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (3-7, 2-3) wraps up the final week of the 2021 portion of their schedule with their final non-conference game of the season. They will host Ohio Dominican University inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center as they look to work on some things and continue to improve for the restarting of Mountain East Conference (MEC) play when the calendar flips to 2022.
The last time the Cardinals took the floor, they were once again involved in a game that came down to the wire against Slippery Rock University. After leading for a majority of the first half, The Rock battled back to overtake the Cardinals in the second half. With Wheeling trailing by nine with eight minutes to play, the Cardinals rallied back to make it a two-point game and kept it that way until there was just a minute left on the clock. Unfortunately, the comeback was too little, too late as Slippery Rock was able to hold on 76-70, handing Wheeling their seventh loss of the season.
While Wheeling rested a few of their regular starters, they had some big contributions from some guys off the bench to get the offense going. One of those contributors was freshman Tre Massey, who scored a career-high 15 points in the game. His impressive run started with seven minutes left in the first half, as he hit three straight buckets, two three-pointers and a jump shot, to help extend the Cardinals lead. He ended up scoring 13 of his 15 points on the night in that seven-minute span, and secured Wheeling's 41-31 halftime lead.
However, when the Cardinals needed him most, their points leader Jarett Haines came through and helped them battle back. He sparked a 7-0 run that took what was a 60-51 game and turned it into a 60-58 game over the span of two minutes. Haines was the points leader for the Cardinals on the night, putting up 16 points and bringing his points per game average this season to 16.4. Haines is currently on the path to 1,000 career points, needing 119 to complete the feat, and he is well on his way to achieving that goal.
While the action on the court is something to watch, another Cardinal is close to reaching his 1,000-point mark and could very well accomplish the feat on Saturday. Senior Jordan Reid enters the game needing just eight points to reach 1,000 and looks to do it on his home court. If he accomplishes the feat, he will become the 47th Cardinal player to reach the mark, and the first to do it since former Cardinal Pat Moseh in January of 2017.
The Matchup
Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Wheeling and Ohio Dominican University as the Cardinals look to take the first advantage of the series. The Panthers come out of the Great Midwest Atlantic Conference (G-MAC), a conference that Wheeling has some familiarity with. They have faced off against G-MAC teams six times in team history and have put together a record of 4-2 against some of their members including Malone University, Tiffin, and Kentucky Wesleyan.
Their last game against a G-MAC team came earlier this year when they went on the road to face Malone University. The Cardinals fell in that game 90-72 but had four different players finish in double figures. Jarett Haines led the group with 22 points, while John Korte (16), Jay Gentry (15), and Reid (13) all finished with double digits.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 3 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
