PHILIPPI, W.Va. (March 1) -- The Wheeling University men's basketball team held off Alderson Broaddus, 97-91, on Monday night at Rex Pyles Arena in the first round of the MEC Tournament. 

The Cardinals (6-11) advance to the quarterfinals and will take on Charleston on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. inside the WesBanco Arena. The Battlers finish the season at 6-11.

Senior guard Jarett Haines (Bronx, N.Y./New Rochelle) scored 26 of his career-high 34 points in a sizzling first half to help stake the Cardinals out to a 51-37 lead at the break. Haines was 9-of-10 from the field in the first half, including 4-of-5 from deep. As a team, Wheeling shot 60 percent in that first half. 

Wheeling continued to lead in the second half, but Alderson Broaddus did manage to get the lead down into single digits with under six minutes to play. The Battlers got it to within six with under a minute to play, but the Cards did enough from the free throw line to seal the win. 

After Haines, senior guard Jordan Reid (Silver Spring, Md./Albert Einstein) scored 22 for Wheeling. Junior guard Brent Price (Wheeling, W.Va./Central Catholic) had 18 and sophomore forward John Korte (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) scored 10 points and had eight rebounds. 

David Shriver poured in 31 points to lead AB. Dalen Soloman tallied 16 points. 

Recap courtesy of the Mountain East Conference