Wheeling, W. Va. - The first half Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule is down to its final week and the Cardinals kick things off at home. The team will host West Virginia State inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 PM. Wheeling is coming off their first conference win of the season, and looks to ride that momentum into their final home conference game of the first half.
Wheeling's offense was able to flex their muscles last time out, scoring a season-high 95 points against West Virginia Wesleyan. Early on, it was a combination of defense and efficient shooting that led the Cardinals as they put up 50 points over the first 20 minutes of play. Wheeling's defense was able to hold the Bobcats to single digits over the first nine minutes of play and the Cardinal offense would go to work. The Cardinals shot 48.65% from the floor in the half, and they went into the locker room staked to a 50-28 advantage. They took that efficiency from the first half and built on it in the second half, shooting 16-29 (55.17%) from the floor. Wheeling would seal the deal with 45 points in the half, and got to show off some of their depth in a 95-65 win.
Over the last few weeks, the Cardinals have turned to senior leader William Gabbert and he has answered the call. The senior led the way with 19 points in the effort, while being the Cardinal's most efficient shooter, going 7-9 (77.7%) from the floor. He has been in double figures in six of the eight games this season, and has taken his game into overdrive since the Calendar turned to December. Since the start of the new month, Gabbert has averaged 17.0 PPG, getting over the 17 point mark in two of those three games. He has also been one of the Cardinal's top shooters, shooting 38.5% from the floor and 43.5% from beyond the arc. He has made four or more three-pointers in each of the last two games and looks to continue leading the Cardinals down the stretch.
Another spark for the Cardinals has come from Caleb Murray, who is once again providing big shots off the bench for his team. Murray tied for second on the team with 15 points on the night, while going 3-7 (42.9%) from three-point range. Like Gabbert, Murray has found his three-point shot over the last two gams, going 4-6 against Davis & Elkins and 3-7 against West Virginia Wesleyan. Tee Harris has made his presence felt throughout the season, and was once again a leader for the Cardinals on Saturday. He finished with 15 points on the night, while going 7-12 from the floor in the process. Harris is one of three Cardinals to be averaging double digits this season, averaging 12.4 PPG, and looks to continue adding to that total as the season goes on.
With the final week of conference play in the first half here, the Cardinals are looking to climb the ladder in the MEC standings. With their first conference win of the season, the Cardinals jumped three spots in the conference standings, sitting tied for seventh at 1-2. This week presents a challenge for the Cardinals, with both Charleston and West Virginia State sitting near the top of the conference. If the Cardinal defense can hold strong and open opportunities for the offense, Wheeling could find themselves sitting in good position heading into the break. It starts with their fifth home game in their ninth game of the season as they wrap up the first half home conference schedule.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the 42nd time in program history, with West Virginia State leading the all-time series at 21-20. The series has been tight throughout, with the home team holding the advantage as the Cardinals are 11-7 when playing at home all time. It has been a high scoring series, with Wheeling averaging 83.73 points per game, but the Cardinals are looking to break an eight-game losing streak against the Yellow Jackets. Their last win came on February 8th, 2020, when they picked up a win in the Alma Grace McDonough Center.
Their last meeting came on February 3rd, 2024, in a game the Cardinals fell 86-78 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Wheeling was led by former Cardinal Marcus Johnson, who picked up a double-double with 34 points and 11 rebounds. Tee Harris jr. added 16 points and six rebounds on the day, while S.J. Hutchinson added seven points to round out the night.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 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.
