Wheeling, W. Va. - With a playoff spot secure, and their seeding pretty much set, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (9-16, 6-13) enter the final week of the regular season looking to get momentum on their side heading into next week's Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament. They wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule to kick off the week on Wednesday night as they make the trip to Salem, West Virginia to take on the Tigers with tip-off at 7:30 PM. The Cardinals have put together some of their best basketball down the stretch, having won four of their last six games, and they look to continue that momentum into the final week of play.
Last time out, the Cardinals tallied a big victory as they hosted Glenville State following Women's Basketball's 1994 Championship team celebration. It was a defensive game throughout the first half, with neither team able to reach the 40 point mark over the first 20 minutes of play. The Cardinals would hit a 6-0 run with just under five minutes to play in the half and it would give them the advantage by halftime at 36-31. That run turned out to make all the difference, as both teams put up 44 points in the second half as the offenses turned on. With 2:12 to play, the Cardinals held the advantage at 68-67 and would finish things from the free throw line, going 8-8 over the final two minutes as they secured the 80-75 win.
Leading the Cardinals once again was junior Marcus Johnson, who finished with his seventh double double of the season, putting up 26 points and adding 10 rebounds. Johnson shot just under 50% from the floor on the day, going 10-21, and was part of a big defensive push by the Cardinals at the end of the game. Along with his scoring ability, Johnson has also passed the ball around effectively this season, leading the Cardinals with 76 assists this season. He was second on the team against Glenville State, picking up two assists, and he looks to continue both hitting his shots and finding the open man as the team heads down the stretch.
When the Cardinals needed it most, the team called on a strong defensive effort to help lead them down the stretch. With things sitting close in that final minute, Alex Smith was the one to come through, picking up a big steal and a big block that would thwart two Pioneer scoring opportunities. Smith has been regarded as one of the team's best defensive guards this season, and looks to continue captaining the defensive side of the ball. S.J. Hutchinson has also shown a strong defensive ability this season, and has been a spark on the offensive side of the ball. He put up 13 points against Glenville State on Saturday, marking the third time in the last four games that he has hit double figures.
With only one conference game left on their schedule, the Cardinals hold the #9 spot in the tournament field and can end up with the #8 seed with some help. If Glenville State falls to Charleston on Wednesday, the Cardinals would move to a half-game back of the Pioneers. A Pioneer loss to Concord to round out the season and a Cardinal win against West Liberty would earn the Cardinals the #8 seed and Glenville the #9 seed. Either way, the two teams will most likely meet in the first round of the MEC Tournament for the third consecutive season as the Cardinals look to move on in the tournament field.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the 30th time in program history on Wednesday night, and the second time this season. Salem leads the all-time series, with a record of 16-13 in the first 29 games, and holds an 8-5 advantage in the first 13 games between the two teams in Salem, West Virginia. However, it has been the Cardinals who have controlled the series as of late, winning nine of their last 10 games dating back to the 2007-2008 season, with the only loss coming back in 2018.
In their most recent meeting, Wheeling would pick up a 75-62 victory on their home court back on November 21st, 2023. The Cardinals were led on the day by a 25 point effort from Marcus Johnson, who also led the defense with eight rebounds. No other Cardinal hit double figures on the day, but Sean Ealy added nine points and William Gabbert and Kevin Coleman Jr. Would each add seven to round out the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM inside the T. Edwards Gymnasium on the campus of Salem University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
