Wheeling, W. Va. - All season, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (5-20, 3-16) has been battling with Frostburg State for the 10th and final seed in the 2023 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament. That head-to-head battle comes to a head this weekend when the Cardinals host Frostburg State in their final regular season home game with tip-off scheduled for 4 PM. It will be a big day both on and off the court as the team honors the legacy that its seniors have left as Brent Price, John Korte, and George Taylor III will all be honored.

Last time out, the offense was flying around for the Cardinals as they put up 100 points for the second time this season against Fairmont State. The Cardinals offense came out on fire, putting up 17 of the first 23 points and leading 17-8 by the first media timeout. With the lead on their side, Wheeling was able to hold off a surging Fairmont State team to head into the locker room ahead 52-43. The Cardinals were able to maintain that lead until six minutes showed on the clock and the back and forth battle began. Both teams reached the 100-point mark, but in the end the Falcons offense had just a bit more punch as they pulled away for the 109-100 victory.

During the effort, history was made as senior John Korte joined elite company in the program's history. He became the 49th player in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark for his career. The shot came with 11:37 to go in the game as Korte made his move around a series of Falcon defenders and hit the layup to reach the mark. He now has 1,009 points for his Cardinals career Korte continues to be the driving force for the Cardinal's offensive success this season, and enters play on Saturday as the third leading scorer in the MEC with an average of 20.4 points per game and looks to continue his string of success as the season winds down.

The Cardinals also got an impressive showing from sophomore William Gabbert, who set a new career high with 21 points in the loss. Of those 21 points, 15 came in the first five minutes of play as he was electric from three-point range. Gabbert led the team, shooting 57.1% from three-point range, and has been the team's third best three-point shooter this season with a mark of 40.9% from beyond the arc. Marcus Johnson rounded out the team's offensive night, adding 22 points to the fray that included an 8-18 mark from the floor. Johnson has been the team's second leading scorer this season, with an average of 17.4 points per game, and has helped tremendously in under the net play.

As the Cardinals head into the final three games of the regular season, many scenarios still exist on their path to the 2023 MEC Tournament. Their best chance of clinching the #10 seed would come via a win on Saturday, which would tie the two teams at 4-16 in MEC play. A win would give the Cardinals the overall season series tie breaker, and with the two teams sitting at identical records would give them the advantage heading into the final week of the season. However, if the Cardinals were to lose they could still own the tiebreaker by losing by no more than five points. While the season series would be tied, the second tie breaker would come down to point differential, giving the Cardinals the advantage. However, in that scenario, the Cardinals would have to win out in order to clinch the title.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Bobcats will be meeting for the eighth time in program history on Saturday as they wrap up the 2022-23 season. Wheeling leads the all-time series with a record of 6-1 against the Bobcats that includes a perfect 3-0 record on their home court. Wheeling has taken four of the last five games against the Bobcats, including a 97-80 win at home last season.

In their most recent meeting, Wheeling went out on the road and picked up an 83-78 win in Frostburg, Maryland. John Korte would lead the way in that game with 27 points and 16 rebounds in what began his string of big offensive games. The Cardinals also got big efforts from both Marcus Johnson (22) and Brent Price (14) to round out the day.

The Details

Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM, with senior day happening before the game inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.