Wheeling, W. Va. - The 2022 portion of the schedule ended with a bang for the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (2-10, 0-6) as they picked up a big win against Franciscan. They open the 2023 portion of their schedule by diving back into Mountain East Conference (MEC) play when they hit the road to take on Glenville State on Wednesday, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 PM. Head Coach Chris Richardson always says that he wants his team to play their best basketball in January and February, and the Cardinals look to do just that as the sprint to the MEC tournament begins. 

Last time out, the Cardinals picked up that big win when they took down Franciscan University 88-64 for their first win since back on November 15th. The Cardinals got off to a fast start in that game, scoring the most points they have scored in any half this season when they put up 47 points over the first 20 minutes of play. Franciscan battled back to get within seven points, but the Cardinal's offense heightened things right back up and put up 41 points in the second half to claim the 88-64 win. Over the final ten minutes of the game, the Cardinals were able to turn to their bench and get some experience for their bench guys as they look to carry that momentum with them into 2023. 

The Cardinals got another strong performance from Marcus Johnson in the game, as he led the way with 20 points on the night. It was the fourth time this season that the sophomore has gone over the 20-point mark and put him in the team lead with an average of 17.4 points per game. He was just one rebound away from a double-double, finishing second on the team with nine rebounds. Johnson has been one of the big offensive leaders for the Cardinals this season and looks to be one of the team's strong points as they head into the stretch run towards the MEC tournament. 

With two of their starters out last game, Andrew Taylor stepped up big, recording his first double-double of the season. He finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds to complete the feat, tying his season high in points for the season while setting a new season high in rebounds. Behind him was freshman S.J. Hutchinson, who was making his first career start and had a career night. He finished with 18 points and added six rebounds as he played a crucial role in his team's second half success. Hutchinson's previous high was a 14-point performance against Notre Dame College back on November 14th, as he continues his development on the court. 

As the team heads into the 2023 portion of their schedule, they have some work to do as they try to climb back into the MEC Tournament race. Entering play on Wednesday night, the Cardinals are just one game out of a playoff spot and two games away from the #9 seed, which they claimed last season. With two of their next three games coming against teams that they sit just two games behind; the Cardinals have an immediate chance to climb the standings and get back into the playoff race. With the number of close games, they have played this season, the Cardinals have been tested and look to use that to their advantage coming down the stretch. 

The Matchup 

The Cardinals and Pioneers are meeting up for the 36th time in program history on Wednesday night, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 22-14. However, when the teams meet in Glenville, West Virginia, the tables are turned with Glenville State holding an 11-8 record against the Cardinals. The series has been back and forth over the last five games, as the Cardinals look to start 2023 with the same momentum, they ended 2022 with. 

The last meeting between the two teams came in the first round of the 2022 MEC Tournament, with the Cardinals knocking off the Pioneers 78-72. The Cardinals used a 42-point first half to create the separation they needed to move on to the quarterfinal round. Former Cardinal Jordan Reid led the team with 28 points in that contest, while former Cardinal Jarett Haines added 22 points in the winning effort. 

The Details 

Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM inside the Waco Center on the campus of Glenville State University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.