Wheeling, W. Va. - As the calendar has turned to 2022, one area that has been standing out for the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (4-9, 3-4) has been their offense. They racked up 55 points in the second half of their 92-83 win over Glenville State on Wednesday night and look to keep the offense rolling on Saturday when they go on the road to face Concord. In total Wheeling has scored 171 points over their last two games, with 57 of those points coming in the second half of games.
Their latest outburst came in the second half of a 92-83 win over Glenville State on Wednesday night, where they set a new season-high with 55 second half points. Wheeling went into halftime trailing 46-37 and were looking to find their groove in the game. They would come out of the break hotter than ever, shooting 60% from the floor, and it took them just six minutes into that second half to take the lead. An 8-0 run, fueled by six points from senior Jordan Reid, gave Wheeling the lead for good with 14 minutes left in the game, and by the time it was over, Wheeling was able to go deep into their bench.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was a pair of seniors in Jordan Reid and Jarett Haines who each scored 20+ points. Reid led the effort with 27 points on the day, 20 of those coming in the second half of the game. He continues to climb the Wheeling all-time scoring board, and now sits 40th all-time with 1,052 career points. Haines is currently on track for his 1,000-point milestone and needs just 53 more points to reach the mark. Haines finished the night with 24 points while also leading the team with six assists on the day. Both players have been a key part of Wheeling's success this season and continued to drive the offense.
In total, Wheeling had five players finish the day in double digits, with junior John Korte, senior Jay Gentry, and freshman Tre Massey all finishing in double digits. Korte just missed a double-double in his second game back, picking up nine rebounds on the night and throwing down a massive dunk. Massey also ended in double figures for the fourth game in a row and is starting to become a more constant fixture on the floor for the Cardinals, giving some of their stars a much-needed break.
The win was a big one for Wheeling as it moved them from ninth in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) to a tie for fifth. Wheeling, Frostburg State, and Alderson Broaddus all enter the weekend at 3-4 in conference play as Wheeling looks to get momentum on their side. With three of their next four game coming against teams in the top five of the conference, Wheeling is looking to get hot at the right time and make a push for a second straight appearance in the MEC playoffs in 2022.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Cougars rivalry dates to the 2000 season spanning 36 games, with Wheeling holding the upper hand with a record of 24-12. They are averaging just over 82 points per game against the Cougars and hold a 9-6 record when the game is played in Athens, West Virginia. However, the Cardinals have dropped each of their last two games against the Cougars and are looking to regain control of the all-time series.
The last game between the two teams came on February 15th of last year, in a game Wheeling lost 74-73 in the final seconds. After being down 37-31 at halftime, Wheeling would outscore the Cougars 42-37 in the second half, but it was just not enough to complete the comeback win. Jordan Reid led the offense with 23 points in the game while Jarett Haines and Jay Gentry each had solid days with 16 points apiece in the game.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM on the campus of The University of Concord. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
