Wheeling, W. Va. - The turkey has been served and the race to the first half break is officially on as the Wheeling Athletics calendar turns to December. The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team will open the final month of 2024 in non-conference action as they take on California University of Pennsylvania, with tip-off at 3 PM. It will be the final non-conference matchup before the start of the first half Mountain East Conference (MEC) final stretch, and the Cardinals look to keep momentum on their side.

Last time out, the Cardinals opened MEC play with a road game against their newest conference rival Point Park University. Over the game's first 10 minutes of play, the Cardinals were able to keep things close, taking a one-point lead with 8:42 to go before the half. However, a late first half run by the Pioneers got them the breathing room they needed, and by halftime it turned into a 40-31 Point Park lead. The Cardinals were held to a 36.11% mark from the floor in the first half, and were looking to make a second half push. They would do just that, upping their percentage to 37.1% in the second half and outscoring the Pioneers 40-35. However, the damage had been done as Point Park would hold on to pick up the 75-71 win.

In the early part of the season, the Cardinals have had a big presence under the net in the form of sophomore Tee Harris Jr. Harris put together a career-best day, finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds to earn his first double-double this season. Harris would shoot just over 37% on the night, and came up big from beyond the arc, going 3-10 in long-range shots. It was the second time this season that Harris eclipsed the 15 point mark and the fourth time in the team's first five games that he has reached double figures. He leads the team, averaging14.8 PPG this season, and is one of three Cardinal players this season to be averaging in double figures.

It was also a big showing for senior leader William Gabbert, who finished with a season-high 13 points on the day. It was Gabbert's third double figure showing of the season, and his second straight time going over the 10-point mark. Gabbert upped his season average to a career-best 10.0 PPG as he continues to serve as a leader under the basket. The Cardinals have also seen strong rebounding from Alex Smith, who has averaged nine or more rebounds in each of the last two games. He would finish second on the team with nine rebounds last time out and now sits second on the team with 8.0 rebounds. Smith has been a key piece to the Cardinal's defensive effort, and has found his rhythm in the rebounding game.

As they return from the Thanksgiving break and open the final month of the 2024 portion of their schedule. Each of their last two games have been decided by four points or less, as they continue to battle in close games down the stretch. Saturday will mark their final non-conference game before they hit a four-game stretch of MEC play heading into the first half break. Last season, the Cardinals would go 2-2 down the stretch, and those two conference wins were crucial in getting the team back to the MEC tournament as the #9 seed. As they enter the 2024-2025 portion of the stretch, the Cardinals are looking for similar success as they try to climb the ladder in the MEC standings and fight for one of the top six spots to earn a first round bye to the Quarterfinal round.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Vulcans are meeting for the 10gh time in program history on Sunday, with CAL-U leading the all-time series at 8-2. Both Cardinal wins in the series have come at home, with the Cardinals holding a 2-2 record inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center, compared to an 0-5 record on the road. They have averaged 67.9 points per game in the all-time series, and they are looking for their first win against CAL-U since the 2009-2010 season.

Their last meeting came on December 13^th, 2023 when the, Cardinals fell to the Vulcans 94-90. Sean Ealy would lead the way for the Cardinals with 30 points, while going 9-15 from the floor and 6-8 from three-point range. Former Cardinal Marcus Johnson  finished behind him with 28 points while Caleb Murray added 14 points off the bench. Alex Smith would lead the way with 10 rebounds while Johnson had the team lead with three assists.

The Details

Tip-off for Sunday afternoon's game is scheduled for 3 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.