Wheeling, W. Va. - After coming off the high of a top 10 in region win Sunday, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (3-3, 0-1) is looking to ride the wave of momentum into Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. They hit the final first half stretch, seeing them play four conference games in two weeks, on Wednesday when they travel to Elkins, West Virginia to take on the Senators at 7:30 PM. After dropping their conference opener to Point Park before Thanksgiving, the Cardinals will be looking to even their MEC record and keep their December magic alive.
Last time out, the team battled the #10 team in the country in CAL-U, welcoming former Cardinal Men's Basketball Coach Danny Sancomb back to the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Defense was key throughout the night and that reigned true early on as the Cardinals held the Vulcans to just four points in the first eight minutes. However, the Vulcans would show why they are ranked, battling back and heading into the locker room with a 44-41 lead. They extended that advantage to 13 points with just under four minutes to play, and the Cardinals would hit an 11-2 run and were able to tie the game at 77-77 by the end of regulation. The Cardinals would need one more stand from their defense, and they got just that as they outscored the Vulcans 12-6 in overtime and walked away with an 89-83 win.
In a game that was controlled by defense, it was Redshirt Sophomore Alex Smith who had the biggest impact without scoring a single point. Smith would finish with a team-high 20 rebounds and two assists. Smith finished just three rebounds away from the single-game record, set back in 1960 by former Cardinal Mike McGovern against Davis & Elkins. Smith has been a rebounding machine over the last three games, reaching the 15 rebounds mark twice during that stretch, while averaging 14.7 rebounds per game. Smith currently sits fourth in the conference with 60 rebounds and second with 47 defensive rebounds. Smith looks to continue helping the Cardinals on the glass and being a leader on the defensive side of the ball.
While Smith led the defense, it was Sean Ealy who led the offense, tying his career-high with 30 points in the effort. 17 of those 30 points came during Wheeling's second half comeback, including five points in the final 30 seconds to force overtime. Ealy earned the most recent MEC Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors for his efforts, splitting the award with Point Park's Nazareth Fisher. As the game went to overtime, it was senior William Gabbert who came up when needed. He accounted for six of the 12 overtime points for the team, including the final two free throws to seal the game. Gabbert would finish with a season-best 14 points on the night, with nearly half of those coming in the closing moments of the contest.
As they get back to MEC play, the Cardinals are hitting a crucial stretch of games before the Christmas break. With four conference games to be played over the next two weeks, Wheeling is trying to set themselves up for success as they hit the 2025 portion of their schedule. Last season, the Cardinals would split these four games, and it went a long way in helping them claim the #9 spot in the 2024 MEC Men's Basketball Tournament. This season, they have loftier goals, looking to secure a first round bye and move to the MEC Quarterfinals. With a tough stretch that includes West Virginia State and Charleston before the Christmas break, the Cardinals will be challenged and look to use their big game experience early on to lead them through the field.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 32nd time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 23-8. It has been a close series when the teams meet in Elkins, West Virginia, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 6-5. The Cardinal offense has led the way throughout the series, averaging 82.39 points per game, and they have scored 80 or more points in two of the last three games against the Senators.
Their last meeting came on February 10th, 2024, when the Cardinals picked up an 85-82 win on the road. Former Cardinal Marcus Johnson led the way with a double-double, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the effort. Sean Ealy and Tee Harris Jr. Each added 17 points in the effort, with the Cardinals having three players score in double figures. Harris also added seven assists on the night to round out the defensive effort, while Johnson led the way with two assists.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 5:30 PM inside the McDowell Center on the campus of Davis & Elkins. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
