Wheeling, W. Va. - After a strong end to Mountain East Conference (MEC) play during the 2023 portion of the schedule, 2024 hasn't gone quite as well as the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (5-12, 2-9) had planned. However, they look to end the month with a bang on Wednesday night as they travel to Charleston, West Virginia to take on The University of Charleston at 7:30 PM. The Cardinals look to get back in the win column on the road as they prepare for a long home stretch in February to end the season.
Last time out, the Cardinals made the trip up the hilltop for the annual "The Battle for Wheeling" as they took on West Liberty. The Cardinals were able to hang around early, battling to a 29-20 score over the first 10 minutes of play. It was an efficient first half for the Cardinals, as they shot 50% from the floor and 58.33% from the free throw line. However, the potent Hilltopper offense kept scoring and headed into the locker room with a 63-39 advantage. As the teams came out for the second half, the Cardinals kept their efficiency, shooting 43.33% from the floor and nearly 40% from three-point range, but it wouldn't be enough as they fell to the Hilltoppers 123-76.
Despite the losing effort, it was another strong performance from junior Sean Ealy, who led the way with 14 points. He has had to step up recently due to Marcus Johnson being beat up, and he has handled the role effectively. After putting up 19 points against Notre Dame College on Wednesday, he added another double-digit point effort on Sunday and was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter, putting up a 55.5% mark from the floor. He has brought his season average up to 14.1 PPG and has moved himself into the top 10 in scoring in the MEC, sitting ninth ahead of West Virginia Wesleyan's Alex Mirhosseini. Ealy looks to continue his success down the stretch as the Cardinals look to get back in the win column.
Another spark for the Cardinals during the 2024 portion of their schedule has been the work of sophomore S.J. Hutchinson. In his four games since returning to the Cardinal's rotation, the sophomore has averaged 10.1 PPG and has been in double figures in three of those four games. He has been big from three-point range during that span, hitting nine of his 12 three-point attempts, including one in Sunday's game against West Liberty. Kevin Coleman Jr. Would round out the offense with 14 points on the night, tying Ealy for the team lead. The effort would land just two points shy of his career-high of 16, which he set during his freshman season, as he also has stepped up over these last two games.
With nine games remaining on the conference schedule, the Cardinals are battling for their MEC Tournament lives over the next month. They currently sit tied with Frostburg State at 2-9 in conference play, with both teams holding a one-game lead over West Virginia Wesleyan for the final playoff spot. As the Cardinals prepare for this stretch run, things don't get any easier as they face Charleston and West Virginia State this week in games against the #2 and #3 teams in the conference. The Cardinals look to make waves in the conference and climb the ladder as they head into February.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Golden Eagles will be meeting for the 42nd time in program history on Wednesday night, and the second time this season. It has been a near even series through the first 41 games, with Charleston holding a slight advantage at 21-20 all-time. The series has seen the two teams have identical records both at home and on the road, with both series being tied at nine wins apiece.
In the first meeting of the year, it was Wheeling who broke a six-game skid against the Golden Eagles with an 81-80 win on their home court. Leading the way for the Cardinals was Marcus Johnson, who finished with 22 points on the night, including a 2-3 mark from three-point range. Caleb Murray was a spark off the bench, with four three-pointers and 16 total points, while Sean Ealy and Kevin Coleman Jr each finished in double digits in the effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM inside the Wehrle Innovation Center on the campus of The University of Charleston. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
