Wheeling, W. Va. – Throughout January, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team has spent a lot of time away from the Alma Grace McDonough Center. On Saturday, they return home for the first of back-to-back home games as they host Concord with tip-off scheduled for 4 PM. The Cardinals look for their first win in the 2024 portion of the schedule as they head towards the 2024 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament.

Last time out, the Cardinals traveled to Glenville State where they played in a back and forth game throughout the night. After falling behind 11-5 early, the Cardinals were able to battle back, bringing the score to 21-16 with nine minutes to go before the half. By the three minute mark, the Cardinals were within one point of the Pioneers and took the lead on a jumper by Caleb Murray. They headed into the locker room with a 38-37 advantage, but the two teams would continue to go back and forth in the second half. As the game came down to its final minute, it was a 74-73 Glenville State advantage before Marcus Johnson hit a three to make it 76-74. The Pioneers took the lead with a three and Wheeling had two possessions with under 10 seconds. They nearly scored on both attempts, but in the end they fell 77-76.

It was another big showing for Johnson, who led the Cardinals with 28 points in the effort while leading the defense with seven rebounds. It was the seventh time this season that Johnson has eclipsed the 25 point mark and the third time in the last five games that he hit the mark. He continues to be the leading scorer across the MEC, averaging 22.3 Points per game and looks to be the second straight Cardinal to lead the MEC in scoring after former Cardinal John Korte accomplished the feat last season before suffering an injury. Johnson is also on the path to 1,000 career points in his time with the Wheeling Cardinals, needing just 163 points to accomplish the feat. With 13 games left in the regular season, Johnson looks to be the 50th player in program history to hit the mark.

The Cardinals also got a double digit effort from junior Sean Ealy, who continues to be a big contributor on offense. Ealy totaled 14 points and was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter on the floor, going 6-8 (75%) from the floor. Ealy has seen an increased role on the Cardinal's offense since MEC play began, and has taken Advantage. He is averaging 14.5 PPG in conference play and 14.4 PPG overall. The Cardinals passed the ball around effectively throughout the night with nine different Cardinals scoring at least one point and six different players finishing with one assist. The Cardinals have several players who can score, and they look to put a focus on defense as they head down the stretch run towards the MEC Tournament.

As they enter play on Saturday, the Cardinals sit ninth in the conference with a record of 2-6, but are in striking distance of going much higher. The Cardinals are a half game behind Notre Dame College for the #8 spot and just three games out of getting into the sixth spot, where they would earn a bye in the first round of competition. With a full slate of MEC opponents still ahead throughout the month of January and February, the Cardinals still have plenty of time to make up that ground. They will play seven of their final 13 regular season contests inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center, where they are 3-2 through their first five games. The Cardinals look to take advantage of this success and climb their way into one of the top six spots.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Mountain Lions are meeting for the 41st time in program history on Saturday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series with a record of 25-15. However, when the series is played in Wheeling, the Cardinals have been even more successful, going 14-4 in those matchups. Concord swept the season series during the 2022-2023 season and the Cardinals look to get their revenge as they open the 2023-2024 season series.

The last time these two teams met was on February 8th, 2023 in a high scoring affair that Wheeling dropped 101-98. Former Cardinal John Korte led the way with 25 points in the game while Marcus Johnson added 21 points to lead the offense. Korte led the defensive effort with 15 rebounds while Trey Stoffer set a new career-high with eight assists in the losing effort.

The Details

Tip-off for Saturday's Game is scheduled for 4 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.