Wheeling, W. Va. - It was a big win for the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (6-14, 3-11) on Wednesday night as they got back on track against West Virginia Wesleyan. On Saturday, the Cardinals look to keep their momentum going as they hit the road to face Davis & Elkins at 2 PM. The next Cardinal win would get them over their win total from last season as they look to get closer to clinching a spot in the 2024 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament.
The Cardinals hosted the Bobcats back on Wednesday and put together one of their most consistent performances of the season. After West Virginia Wesleyan took the initial lead at 2-1, the Cardinals came rocketing back on a 12-0 run that had them out in front 13-2 by the 14:61 mark of the first half. They would never look back from there, shooting 51.72% from the floor in the half and they went into the locker room leading 42-24. In the second half, the Bobcats began to battle back and got to within 58-67 with under five minutes to play. The Cardinals would get a late spark with a big dunk from Tee Harris, and it was enough to spark them to an 84-63 victory.
Harris has had to step into the starting lineup over the last two games due to injury and has made the most of his opportunities. He set a new career-high with 22 points in the effort against West Virginia Wesleyan and sparked the Cardinals on big runs during two separate occasions. It was also the most efficient shooting game of Harris's career, as he went 7-10 (70%) from the floor while adding an 8-12 mark (66.7%) from the free throw line. The freshman has been in double figures in each of his last three games, averaging 16.0 PPG during that time. He looks to continue to take advantage of his time in the starting lineup and lead his team down the stretch.
The Cardinals spread the ball around throughout the night, with 12 different Cardinals contributing to the effort. Sophomore Alex Yoakum put together his best game of the season off the bench, putting up 11 points, including two big three-pointers in the effort. Yoakum is a guy who has seen action throughout the season for the Cardinals and took advantage of his opportunity. Jerry Saunders Jr also played a big role down the stretch, adding a big three-pointer while also setting up Harris for the late dunk. Saunders finished with seven points on the night and was 3-4 from the floor including the big three-pointer late in the effort.
As they come down their final seven-game stretch, the Cardinals are determined to get themselves back to the MEC Tournament. They currently hold the #9 seed in the conference at 3-11 and are within three games of getting as high as the #7 seed. Their magic number to clinch a spot in the tournament sits at 5, with five Cardinal wins or five West Virginia Wesleyan losses locking them in. Last season, the Cardinals entered the tournament as the #10 seed and are looking to climb the standings and continue their progression this season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 29th time in program history on Saturday, and the second time this season. The Cardinals hold the all-time record at 20-8, However, when the teams meet in Elkins, West Virginia, it is a tied series at 5-5. Wheeling is looking to break a short three-game losing streak in the all-time series as they try to pick up their first win against Davis & Elkins since January 29th, 2022.
In the first meeting of the season, Davis & Elkins came into the Alma Grace McDonough Center and picked up an 81-60 win. The Cardinals were led by Marcus Johnson in the effort, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds on the day. Caleb Murray had a big game off the bench with 14 points, while Sean Ealy added 10 points in the effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside the McDonnell Center on the campus of Davis & Elkins College. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
