Wheeling, W. Va. – The 2023-2024 season has had its ups and downs for the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (8-15, 5-12) but since the month of February has started they have hit their stride. They have won three of their last four contests and look to clinch a spot in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament on Wednesday when they hit the road to face Concord at 7:30 PM. A Cardinal win or a West Virginia Wesleyan loss would clinch them their spot as they try and return to WesBanco Arena.

Last time out, it was a special day as the Cardinals honored Haywood Highsmith with the retirement of his #24 jersey as they took on Frostburg State. After the ceremony, the Cardinals hit the ground running on both sides of the ball as they built an early lead. After the Cardinals were ahead 15-10 through the first 10 minutes, the defense kicked it into high gear, allowing just 12 points the rest of the way, as the Cardinals entered halftime with a 40-22 lead. In the second half, they built as much as a 35-point lead with 12:03 to play and Head Coach Chris Richardson got to dip into his bench depth. The Cardinals would finish the effort with 48 points and went on to win 88-62.

To go along with the pregame celebration, it was a big day for junior Marcus Johnson, who tied for the team lead with 19 points. With 2:53 to go, Johnson would hit a three-pointer to put the Cardinals up 83-55 and help him reach the 1,000th point of his Cardinal career. He became the 50th player in program history to reach the mark and did so in just 51 career games in a Cardinal uniform. Johnson enters Wednesday night's game as the conference's leading scorer, with an average of 21.5 points per game, leading the rest of the conference by three points per game. He looks to continue leading the Cardinals down the stretch as they try to clinch their spot in the MEC Tournament in Concord.

The other Cardinal who has stepped up as of late is sophomore S.J. Hutchinson. When the Cardinal's needed a spark on the defensive side of the ball, Hutchinson would step in and prove to be one of the team's top defensive guards. As his defense got him in the floor, his three-point shooting ability kept him there and played a big role in the team's win over Frostburg State. Hutchinson tied with Johnson for the team lead with 19 points on the night, and finished with a team-high four three-pointers. He shot 4-6 (66.7%) from the three-point line in the game and has been the Cardinal's top three-point shooter since his return at 57.3%. Jerry Saunders Jr would continue his recent string of success, adding 10 points off the bench. He has now scored 18 points off the bench over the last two games and looks to continue to be a big contributor down the stretch.

With the Cardinal's recent string of success, they have battled up to a healthy hold on the #9 seed in the conference. They currently sit just two games back from getting as high as the #7 seed in the tournament. With three tournament games left, the Cardinals will have the chance to climb the ladder with all three games coming against teams ahead of them in the standings, including a matchup with #7 seed Glenville State on Saturday. The Cardinals have already surpassed their entire win total for the 2022-2023 season and look to continue to add on to that number over the final four games. Richardson is looking for his team to continue their strong defensive effort as of late and play their best basketball heading into the tournament.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Mountain Lions will be meeting for the 42nd time in program history, and the second time during the 2023-2024 season. Wheeling leads the all-time series with a record of 25-16, however, Concord has had the recent success having won the last three meetings. When they meet in Athens, West Virginia, the series has been even closer, with Wheeling holding a 9-8 advantage in the all-time series on the road.

In their first meeting of the season, Concord would defeat Wheeling 94-88 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Cardinals were led by Marcus Johnson, who finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead on both sides of the ball. S.J. Hutchinson would add 14 points off the bench while William Gabbert (12) and Kevin Coleman Jr (11) each added double digit efforts.

The Details

Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM inside the Christie/Cox Court at the Carter Center on the campus of Concord University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.