Wheeling, W. Va. - As the stretch run towards the 2023 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championship begins, things are heating up as teams across the MEC are vying for a spot at WesBanco Arena. The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (5-14, 3-10) have been putting it together as of late, winning back-to-back wins that started with their big win against West Liberty last Saturday. They look to take some of that momentum with them on the road as they take on Davis & Elkins on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 4 PM.
The Cardinals won back-to-back games for the first time this season last time out when they hosted West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday night. The Cardinals got out to a 6-2 lead early, but Wesleyan battled back and made it close for most of the first half. With four minutes left in the first half, the Cardinals opened the game up a little with a 9-1 run and would end up going into halftime ahead 36-32. Wesleyan hit a three coming out of the break to make it a one-point game and, with 13 minutes left, Wheeling was ahead 49-41. They would seal the deal with a 19-2 run, with their defense allowing just one bucket in a six-minute span, and the Cardinals went on to win 82-55.
The Cardinals have needed a spark plug off the bench the past few games and have gotten just that from freshman Ryan Reasbeck. After putting up a career-high 17 points against West Liberty, the freshman was at it again with a 15-point performance against Wesleyan. He shot 3-6 from three-point range where he has really come into his own. Over his last two games, Reasbeck is shooting 57.1% from three-point range (8-14) and over his last four games he has taken on a larger role, averaging 10.0 points per game. Reasbeck has been a welcome addition to the Cardinals this season and looks to continue to be a spark plug off the bench.
While it wasn't another 40-point game, John Korte turned in another strong performance, leading the team with 21 points on the night. It was Korte's fifth straight game going over the 20-point mark as his scoring average continues to rise to 20.6 points per game. Junior Andrew Taylor was the other double-digit scorer on the night, setting a season-high with 13 points on the evening. Taylor was one of the most efficient shooters on the night for the Cardinals, shooting 83.3% from the floor, and added a big three in the second half to help that 19-2 game-clinching run.
With the win on Wednesday, the Cardinals have earned sole possession of the #10 seed and are on the inside track to make a MEC Playoff spot. With nine games left in the regular season, the Cardinals still have plenty of opportunities to move up the ladder with as high as the #6 seed still in play down the stretch. Saturday's game is another big one in terms of seeding, with the Cardinals sitting one game behind the Senators for a share of the #8 seed with Alderson Broaddus. A Cardinals win would move them into a tie for that spot and open the possibility of them having the eight seed to themselves next week. With four and a half weeks of regular season basketball ahead of them, the Cardinals are putting themselves in prime position to play their best basketball in February.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators are wrapping up their 2022-23 season series with the 27th meeting all-time between the two programs on Saturday. The Cardinals lead that all-time series with a record of 20-6, but the series is much closer in Elkins, West Virginia as the Cardinals are 5-4 on the road. Wheeling has won four of the last five meetings between the two teams and will be looking to avenge their home loss to the Senators earlier this season.
In that first meeting, Davis & Elkins would win a close battle that came down to the wire 77-75 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Brent Price led the way for the Cardinals, finishing with 21 points that included a 5-4 mark from three-point range. Marcus Johnson added a 20-point effort on the day and both players led the defense with five rebounds.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside the McDonnel Center on the campus of Davis & Elkins University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
