Wheeling, W. Va. - In the second half of Sunday's game against The University of Charleston, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (3-9, 2-4) put up a season-high 52 points in what turned out to be a loss. They are hoping to bring some of that offensive momentum with them as they return home to take on Glenville State on Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Offense ruled in the game against Charleston, and that will be another key factor in Wednesday's game as the Cardinals face one of the top scoring teams in the conference.
On Sunday, Wheeling ended up falling to The University of Charleston 92-79 to fall to 2-4 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. In the first half of the game, Wheeling had a hard time getting things going, and scored 27 points over the first 20 minutes of play. However, when they got back from halftime, the Cardinals shooters turned it on scoring 52 points, the highest total for the Cardinals in any half of play this season. In total, the Cardinals had five players finish the night in double figures as they spread the ball around.
Leading the way were seniors Jordan Reid and Jarett Haines, who scored 20 and 19 points, respectively. For Reid, he continues to climb the Wheeling all-time scoring list, and reached 43rd all-time in program history with the effort. Haines is on his own chase for 1,000-points and needs just 77 more to reach his goal. While Haines is known as one of the top scorers for the Cardinals, he has also been a good passer, leading the team with four assists against the Golden Eagles and has 33 total this season.
Aside from the normal contributors, one player who has made his presence felt is freshman Tre Massey, who finished in double figures for the third straight game. He scored 11 points against the Golden Eagles, and over his last five games has averaged 12.0 points per game. The Brunswick, Ohio native has been playing his way on to the floor and has provided a much-needed spark for the team as they came out of the Christmas break.
As the 2022 portion of the season begins, there is still a lot that needs to be decided in the crowded Mountain East Conference. Wheeling is currently in a three-way tie for ninth place with a record of 2-4 and is still just three games behind the three-way tie atop the conference. With their next six games coming against teams above them in the standings, Wheeling will have a chance to gain some ground in the conference and fight their way back into the MEC tournament for the second straight season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Pioneers are two teams that are very familiar with each other, playing 33 games dating back to the 2000 season. Over those games, Wheeling has had the advantage, going 20-13 and they have been especially good on their home court. In 15 home games, Wheeling is 12-3 against Glenville State, and has not lost a home game to the Pioneers since January 10th, 2015. Wheeling dropped last season's contest on the road but is 3-1 in their last four games against Glenville State.
Their last meeting came last January in Glenville in a game that Wheeling lost 92-78. Senior Jarett Haines had a big night in that game, scoring 24 points and leading the Wheeling offense. However, 54 second half points by the Pioneers was enough to sink Wheeling despite having three players in double digits. The other two were Trey Stoffer and former Cardinal Dayne Allen.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's contest 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.
