Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (6-11, 1-8) have been in a skid, but are looking for some home court advantage to get them back on track. They open the annual "The Battle for Wheeling" series on Saturday as they host West Liberty, with tip-off at 4 PM. The Cardinals will be looking for their first Mountain East Conference (MEC) win of 2025, and they are looking for their annual rivalry game to get them going.
Last time out, the Cardinal's offense was riding high as they took on Salem in their non-conference finale. It was a back and forth battle through the first half, with Wheeling answering several Tiger runs. Wheeling was efficient throughout the half, making over 43% of their shots, and staying within a single digit deficit of the Tigers. They headed into halftime, trailing 54-35 and looking to turn things around in the second half. They would remain steady, making 42% of their shots in the second half, and used the three-pointer to battle back, making 10 of their 26 shots from beyond the arc. They got to within seven points of Salem with nine minutes to play at 77-70, but the Tigers put together a 70% mark from the floor. The Cardinals would end up falling 110-95 as they dropped to 6-11 on the season.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Alex Smith, who set a new career-high with 18 points in the game. Since the calendar has turned to 2025, Smith has stepped up his scoring game, averaging 12.5 PPG and upping his season average to 7.9 PPG. In the beginning of the season, Smith was considered the team's defensive leader, and was constantly charging the glass. Now, he has put more of a focus on scoring, but is still racking up the rebounds for the Cardinals. He picked up a double-double, leading the team with 12 rebounds on the day, marking his third double-double of the season. He made six of his seven shots against Salem, and will look to continue being a leader on both sides of the ball down the stretch.
The Cardinals would have five different players hit double figures on the day, with two of those being sparks off the bench. S.J. Hutchinson was the biggest spark for the Cardinals, putting up 17 points while going 3-8 from beyond the arc. It was the highest scoring effort for the junior since he put 22 points up on December 11th, against West Virginia State. He set a new career-high with three three-pointers on the night and helped the Cardinals stay in the game. The other spark came from Caleb Murray, who put up 13 points while going 3-6 (50%) from beyond the arc. It was the sixth time this season that Murray has finished with at least six three-pointers in a game and he continues to be a sharpshooter, sitting second on the team with a 35.9% mark from beyond the arc.
As the Cardinals get back to MEC play, they are looking to climb the conference ladder. They are currently tied for the #10 seed in the conference with West Virginia Wesleyan, but have a chance to get back on track. After taking on West Liberty Saturday, the Cardinals will begin their second trip through the MEC schedule. The Cardinals are looking to take what they learned from those first meetings and make the necessary adjustments in the second half. Despite their current skid, the Cardinals are just two games behind Davis & Elkins for ninth in the conference and just three games back for getting as high as eighth. The Cardinals will continue to take it one game at a time, and if they can string wins together, they can slowly climb the conference ladder.
The Matchup
The historic rivalry continues between the Cardinals and Hilltoppers on Saturday, with the teams meeting for the 71st time in program history. West Liberty leads the all-time series with a record of 22-48, however, the Cardinals have faired much better at home, going 12-16 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. Wheeling's offense has been strong in the series, averaging 83.59 PPG, as the trh to break a three-game losing streak against the Hilltoppers.
The last matchup between the two teams came on March 2nd, 2024, in a game that the Hilltoppers won 107-92. Wheeling was led by a double-double effort from former Cardinal Marcus Johnson, who finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Jerry Saunders Jr. Would put together 17 points on the night, while Tee Harris Jr. (13) And Sean Ealy 12, each hit double figures in the effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
