Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (0-2, 0-0) opened the 2022-23 season at the West Liberty Crossover last weekend as they took on some tough Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) competition. On Tuesday, the Cardinals return to the Alma Grace McDonough Center for their 2022-23 Home Opener when they take on D'Youville with tip-off at 7 PM. The Cardinals will be looking for their first win of the season as many of the players will be getting their first taste of the Wheeling home crowd.
In their second game of the weekend, the Cardinals battled Shepherd to overtime before falling 77-73 in the extra time. After scoring the first two points of the night, Wheeling fell behind When Shepherd went on a 9-2 run that put the Cardinals behind. Wheeling would battle back and by halftime the Cardinals had made it a four-point game at halftime with Shepherd leading 38-34. Wheeling came out strong in the second half and brought it to within two points with 1:53 to play. After a missed jumper by Shepherd, the Cardinals drove down the court and hit a layup with 11 seconds left that tied things at 67-67 and sent the game into overtime. However, the Cardinals would end up being outscored 10-6 in the extra period and fell 77-73.
Leading the way for the Cardinals during the weekend was Marcus Johnson, who was making his Wheeling debut after transferring in. The sophomore did not disappoint, finishing the weekend with 45 points and 11 rebounds across the two games. His biggest performance came in the opener against CAL-U when he finished with a career-high 28 points while also leading the team with eight rebounds in the game. Johnson looks to be a big player under the net for the Cardinals this season and is showing his ability to get shots up when his team needs them.
Two veterans also turned in strong weekends for the Cardinals with Brent Price and John Korte each stepping up in their 2022-23 season debuts. Both finished in double figures in each of the two contests, with Price finishing with 28 points and Korte finishing with 26 between the two games. Price was the Cardinal's assist leader on the weekend, with nine, and Korte tied for the team lead with 11 rebounds on the weekend. Both look to be leaders for the Cardinals this season as they begin their road back to the 2023 MEC Basketball Championships in early March.
Tuesday will be the Cardinal's final non-conference tune-up before they officially kick-off MEC play this Saturday at Notre Dame College. While the Cardinals lost both their games this weekend, most of the MEC were in the same boat through non-conference play. The Cardinals are one of six 0-2 teams in the conference to start the season, joining West Virginia Wesleyan, Notre Dame College, Frostburg State, and Alderson Broaddus. Davis & Elkins, Fairmont State, West Liberty, and West Virginia State all went 2-0 while Concord and Glenville State each went 1-1. It is set up to be another competitive year in the MEC and the Cardinals are looking to make a run at the tournament.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Saints are set to meet for the first time in program history on Tuesday night inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. D'Youville opened their season this weekend as well, beating Mansfield in a close game 83-80 to kick-off the season. Last season, the Saints were 2-26 overall and 1-17 in conference play as they battled through their East Coast Conference Schedule. The Cardinals are looking to welcome D'Youville to Wheeling with a win to kick the series off.
The Details
Tip-off for Tuesday night's home opener is scheduled for 7 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.
