Wheeling, W. Va. - With the first half of the 2025-2026 season winding down, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (4-3, 1-1) will end the half at home. They tip-off a three-game homestand on Saturday when they welcome in the University of Charleston, with tip-off at 4 PM. The Cardinals are looking to bounce back from a loss on the road and continue their success on their home court so far this season.
Last time out, the Cardinals hit the road to Institute, West Virginia when they took on West Virginia State in Mountain East Conference (MEC) action. Through the first 10 minutes, the two teams went back and forth with the game sitting tied at 18-18. However, the Yellow Jackets would create separation with a 7-2 run and held a 10-point lead with 2:32 remaining in the half. The Cardinals got the lead back to single digits, but an 8-0 run to end the first half sent the teams in the locker room with the score sitting at 49-32. The Cardinals shot just 35.29% from the floor in the first half, and made adjustments during the break. They would end up flipping that percentage to 50% (18-36) in the second half and outscored the Yellow Jackets 49-43 down the stretch. However, the damage was already done as the Cardinals took their first conference loss of the season, falling 92-81.
Leading the effort for the Cardinals was junior Kris English, who had a big day coming off the bench. He set a new season-high with 16 point while serving as the Cardinals most efficient shooter, going 5-9 (55.5%) from the floor. He was a big part of Wheeling's second half resurgence, scoring 14 of those 16 points in the second half as the Cardinals tried to battle back in the game. English has been a consistent producer off the bench for the team this season, putting together his fourth double digit effort of the season. He is one of five eligible Cardinals shooting over 50% from the floor this season, going 25-47 (53.3%), while sitting third in rebounding (4.0) and fourth in scoring (8.9). He has shot the ball at a 60% (9-15) clip over the last two games and looks to continue that efficiency from the floor to end the first half.
Leading the Cardinal's defensive effort was Tee Harris Jr, who finished with a team-best six rebounds, while adding 11 points in the effort. Like English, Harris would also go 5-9 from the floor, while continuing his dominance on the boards with four defensive rebounds and two offensive. He leads the Cardinals with 5.4 rebounds per game this season, tying him for 16th in the conference in rebounding this season. The other big performance off the bench came from DJ Wingfield, who set a new career-high with 11 points. He would continue the Cardinal's efficiency from the floor, shooting 66.7% (4-6) from the floor. It was the first double figure game of his career for the redshirt freshman, who has made the most of his opportunities this season, shooting 52.6% (10-19) from the floor and 45.5% (5-11) from three-point range.
With three games remaining on their first half schedule, the Cardinals will end the 2025 portion of their schedule on their home floor. They will host MEC contests on both Saturday and Wednesday, with Monday's game being a special education day match-up over at WesBanco Arena in downtown Wheeling. The Cardinals have had success on the home floor, winning each of their first two home games of the season, while going 2-3 when they hit the road. Despite Wednesday's loss, the Cardinals still sit in a tie for fourth in the early-season MEC standings, and each of their final two conference opponents sit either tied with or below them in the standings. The Cardinals look to use the home court to their advantage.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Golden Eagles are meeting for the 45th time in program history, with the University of Charleston leading the series at 24-21. However, when the Cardinals are at home, they hold the series advantage at 10-9, compared to a 9-11 mark when they travel to Charleston. The Cardinals have won back-to-back home match-ups with the Golden Eagles, and are averaging 76.8 points per game in the all-time series.
The last meeting between the two teams came on January 29th, 2025, in a game Wheeling would win 77-70. Former Cardinal Sean Ealy would lead the way for the Cardinals, finishing with 24 points and six assists on the day. Former Cardinal William Gabbert was the other Cardinal to hit the 20-point mark, while Caleb Murray came off the bench to add 10 points in the winning 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.
