Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (3-5, 2-2) is back in action on their home court on Wednesday night when they host West Virginia State at 7:30 PM. The Cardinals offense flexed their muscles last time on the court, with five different players finishing in double digits as the team defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 83-60.
The Cardinals used a 43-point first half to get up on the Bobcats, and then closed out the game with a 40-point second half to secure the victory. The Cardinals took their lead right from the get-go, scoring the first seven points of the game, and never relinquished that lead the rest of the way. It was a big win for the team, as it evened their Mountain East Conference (MEC) record to 2-2, but it was also a big win for the players as it got their confidence up after a couple of close losses to start the conference portion of their schedule.
Five different Cardinals finished the day in double digits, but the usual leaders Jordan Reid and Jarett Haines were right at the top of the list. Reid led the team with 18 points scored and continues to inch closer to the 1,000-point milestone. He needs just 27 points entering play on Wednesday to reach the mark and become the 47th player in Cardinals history to do it. Haines continued his impressive season as well, scoring 16 points in the contest bringing his season average to 17.0 points per game. Haines has been one of the most consistent scorers for the Cardinals this season and hasn't scored less than 15 points in a game since the fourth game of the year against Akron.
On the defensive side of things, Reid also led the way with his first double-double of the season grabbing 10 rebounds in the game. Senior Jay Gentry finished behind him with five rebounds, and Haines added four rebounds in the effort. The Cardinals rank right in the middle of the pack in terms of rebounding this season, ranking seventh in the conference with 184 defensive rebounds this season, with Reid and junior John Korte leading the effort.
After tying their conference record at 2-2, the Cardinals enter play on Wednesday sitting in a tie for fifth place in the MEC standings. They are currently tied with Concord for that fifth-place spot and sit two games back from the conference leaders The University of Charleston. Wheeling sits a game ahead if their Wednesday night opponent, West Virginia State, who sits at 1-2 in conference play. The Yellow Jackets are coming off of a 71-83 loss at the hands of Fairmont State, and Wheeling is hoping to keep that losing streak alive.
The Match-up
In 34 previous matchups between these two teams, Wheeling has the advantage with a record of 19-15 dating back to the 2000 season. However, a majority of those Wheeling wins have come when the game is played in Wheeling, where the Cardinals have an all-time record of 11-4 against the Yellow Jackets. The Cardinals are averaging just over 85 points per game all-time against the Yellow Jackets but have lost each of the last two games and are looking for a bounce back.
The last time these two teams met, it was West Virginia State that walked away with an 86-68 victory in Institute, West Virginia. Reid led the effort that night with 28 points and Gentry added 10 points in what was a losing effort. Wheeling scored 37 first half points in the game, but just couldn't keep up in the second half in the loss.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 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.
