Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (4-10, 3-5) has had some strong finishes as of late, and is looking to put it all together. They will try to do just that on Wednesday night when they go on the road to face #23 Fairmont State at 7:30 PM. Wednesday will mark Wheeling's first game against a ranked opponent this season as they try to get momentum back on their side heading into the middle of January.
Last time the Cardinals took the court, they scored 51 second half points as they fell just short against Concord 92-84. Wheeling found themselves down by 16 points at halftime and fell behind by as much as 19 points into the second half. However, senior Jarett Haines got his offense going, as Wheeling would outscore Concord 48-37 over the final 18 minutes of play. The run would come too little too late, as Wheeling ended the game with a tough Mountain East Conference (MEC) loss that dropped them to 3-5 in conference play.
It was a big day for Haines, who led the offense with 33 points and four assists, while grabbing six rebounds in the loss. He now sits just 20 points away from 1,000 for his collegiate career, which would make him the 47th Cardinals player to accomplish the feat. Of his 33 points on the day, 20 of those points came in the second half, including two big three-pointers that got runs started late in the game. Haines has been one of Wheeling's most consistent players this season, and leads the team in points (263), assists (43), and steals (35).
Haines was one of four Cardinal players to finish in double figures on the day, with John Korte (17), Jordan Reid (12), and Andrew Taylor (10) all scoring in double figures. For Korte, it was a season-high effort as he shot 60% from the floor including three three-pointers on the night, tying with Haines for the team lead. Taylor finished in double figures for the second straight game, while Reid wrapped up the double digit scorers with 12 points of his own.
The loss dropped Wheeling into a tie for seventh place in the always crowded Mountain East Conference with Concord and Frostburg State. Over the next two games, Wheeling will get a chance to gain some ground as they take on Fairmont State, who sits in third in the conference, and Frostburg State, who they are tied with. The Cardinals' next four games come against teams in the upper half of the conference standings, and will give them a chance to gain some ground in the push for the MEC playoffs.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons have been facing each other since the 2000 season spanning 47 games. Wheeling has gone 16-31 in those games and is looking for their first win against Fairmont State since the 2017-2018 season. They average 76.5 points per game against the Falcons, and when the game is played in Fairmont State the Cardinals are 7-17 all-time. Wednesday not only offers the team a chance to break the losing streak, but gain some ground in the conference.
The last time these two teams met was on February 13th, 2021, in a game that Fairmont State would win 87-73. Wheeling trailed by just one point at halftime, before the Falcons put together a 54-point second half to secure the victory. Jarett Haines led the offense that day with 15 points, followed closely by a 13-point effort from Brent Price. Jordan Reid rounded out the double-digit scorers that day with 11 points in the loss.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM on the campus of Fairmont State. Fairmont State has a no-spectator policy for their games, but you can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
