Wheeling, W. Va. - After taking their finals in the classroom last week, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (5-6,1-4) had one more final to take on the court. They welcomed in Bryant & Stratton College for a special Tuesday matinee, and the Cardinals passed with flying colors to the tune of a 92-56 win. The Cardinals had 16 different players contribute to the winning effort as they grabbed momentum heading into the Christmas break.
Leading the charge was sophomore Tee Harris Jr., who set a new career-high with 24 points, while shooting 10-16 (62.5%) from the floor. After a three-pointer by S.J. Hutchinson got the scoring started, Harris took it from there, with his first layup coming at the 18:31 mark. He would end up scoring the next eight points for the Cardinals, helping them out to a 11-4 lead through the first five minutes of play. He would go on a similar run towards the end of the half, scoring seven straight points, and finished with 14 of his 24 points in the first half. Harris's defensive effort was also strong, with the sophomore sitting third on the team with seven rebounds. As Bryant & Stratton began to find their groove in the second half, it was Harris's rebounding that got his team back on track. He picked up five rebounds in the span of six minutes and sparked his team throughout the second half.
Sean Ealy continued his early season success, adding 16 points to the effort, while adding three assists. The reigning Mountain East Conference (MEC) Men's Basketball Player of the Week was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter, going 6-8 (75%) from the floor. After Harris helped build the Cardinal lead, it was Ealy who maintained that lead, making four three-pointers over the next 10 minutes. He would finish 4-5 from three-point range on the day, marking the second straight game that he has hit four or more threes in a game. The final Cardinal to hit double figures was William Gabbert, who finished with 10 points, and two three-pointers on the night. Gabbert helped sustain the Cardinal's success during the second half, accounting for eight of his ten points over the final 20 minutes of play. He hit both of his three-pointers to start the half and stayed pace with his scoring average for the season.
On the defensive side, the Cardinals were led by Alex Smith, who finished with nine rebounds and six assists to lead the team. Smith hit double figures last time out, and was just three points and one rebound shy of earning a double-double. The six assists tied a season-high for Smith, while he put together one of his most efficient shooting days, going 3-4 (75%) from the floor. Caleb Murray would lead the bench players, finishing with nine points, while going 2-5 from the floor. Murray has been a spark plug for the team throughout the season, and once the depth pieces began to come in, he would take over a leadership role on the floor. Five of those nine points were accounted for during that ten minute stretch, including his lone three-pointer of the day to kick-off the run.
With the game well in hand at 71-42 following the three, the Cardinals began to dip into their bench. After Murray scored his final points of the night on a jumper, Trevor Beresford would make his presence felt with a layup. After a pair of Bobcat free throws made it a 77-48 game, Alex Yoakum hit a three to start his big night. Yoakum would put up a season-high six points in the effort, adding a layup and the final free throw of the night to bring the game to its final score. William Tchatchoua was up next, hitting a pair of layups down the stretch to finish with four points on the day. The final points would come from Jovan Jovanovic, making his collegiate debut, as he hit a three-pointer with 2:42 to play that got the Cardinals to the 89-point mark. When all was said and done, the Cardinals rounded up a team win, sending the Cardinals to the break riding high.
The five first half wins were the most for the Cardinals since the 2019-2020 season, when they finished the first half with six wins, including five straight to start the season. Wheeling is already halfway to their win total from a season ago, and with one more non-conference game on the winter break schedule, they are looking to keep the success going. Head Coach Chris Richardson has been proud of the way his team has handled both successes and failures this season and as they sit 5-6 overall heading to the break. He always looks for his teams to play their best basketball in January and February, a trend he hopes to achieve this season.
The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team returns to action on Saturday, January 4th, when they host Franciscan with tip-off at 3 PM.
