Wheeling, W. Va. - With a little over a month of basketball in the books, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (6-3, 2-1) has gotten off to their best start to a season since equaling that mark going 6-3 in the first half of the 2019-2020 season. On Wednesday, they look to end the first half on a high note when they welcome Davis & Elkins with tip-off at 7:30 PM. It is the final game of a three-game homestand for the Cardinals as they look to complete the undefeated record on the home court.
On Monday, The Cardinals took a break from the conference grind and headed over to WesBanco Arena for a local battle with Franciscan University. After the Cardinals scored the first points of the game, Franciscan came out strong, scoring each of the next eight points to take an early 8-2 lead. The Cardinals saw several shots miss the mark early, shooting just 40.74% from the floor in the first half, and that got them in an early hole. They would go into the half trailing 31-28 but turned things on as the second half began. They would go on a 20-2 run over the first six minutes of the new half, overtaking the Barons, but they would be tested one last time late in the game. After a string of three straight three-pointers by Franciscan, Wheeling trailed 72-66 with four minutes to play. However, after some big stops on the defensive end, a pair of steal and scores would help Wheeling secure the 82-74 win.
Leading the way for the second game in a row was Ayden Goll, who finished with a team-best 21 points, while adding six rebounds and six assists to lead the effort. It was the second straight game where the redshirt freshman hit the 20-point mark, and he also had a big shot late for the second straight outing. It came at the 2:55 mark of the game, when Goll hit a big three to break Franciscan's run, and drew the foul to complete the rare four-point play. He has made the three-ball a big part of his game over the last week, going 17-42 (40.5%) from beyond the arc, making three or more three-pointers in two of those three outings. Along with his scoring ability, Goll has been one of the leading passers in the conference, sitting second in the MEC with 39 assists while averaging 4.3 assists/game during the season. He looks to lead the Cardinals through their final game of the first half and send the team into the break with momentum.
The Cardinals would also see their first double-double of the season in the effort, courtesy of junior Tee Harris JR. He would hit double digit points for the fifth time this season, putting up 12 points, while hitting double digit rebounds for the first time. Defense has been a hallmark of his game over the last week, which has seen him total 25 rebounds and nine blocks, including four blocks in back-to-back games. Sitting right behind Goll on the offensive end was Caleb Murray, who finished with 15 points, five of those coming from the free throw line. The senior has hit multiple three-pointers in all but two games this season, with the highwater mark coming in a 5-7 effort at Salem. Murray has transitioned into a starting role this season and looks to continue being a leader on the court to round out the first half.
Heading into the final conference game of the first half of the season, the Cardinals find themselves among the upper echelon of the MEC. They currently sit tied for fourth with their Wednesday opponent Davis & Elkins, and are just one game back of Concord from being in the conference's top three. With a win on Wednesday, the Cardinals would end the first half of their season with the best first half record since the team went 9-2 to start the season in 2017-2018. The Cardinals are already just five wins away from matching their record from last season, and look to take another step towards doing just that as they wrap up the first half of action.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 35th time in program history on Wednesday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 24-10. The Cardinals have played very well at home during that stretch, holding a 16-3 record compared to a 6-6 record when they head to Elkins, West Virginia. They are averaging 81.71 points per game in the all-time series and have scored 80+ points in three of the last four meetings between the two teams.
The last meeting came in last season's MEC First Round action, with Davis & Elkins winning the match-up 63-61. Caleb Murray would lead the way for the Cardinals off the bench, putting up 15 points and going 3-8 from three-point range. Finishing behind him was former Cardinal Sean Ealy, who finished with 14 points, while Tee Harris JR. added 12 points and Alex Smith adding 10 rebounds to lead the defensive effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's match is scheduled for 7:30 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE and follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
