Wheeling, W. Va- Entering tonight's contest, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (10-13), (5-10) has been rolling hot since the end of January, racking up four wins straight in the conference to keep their playoff ambitions alive. They faced off against a heavyweight in the Mountain East Conference (MEC), the Fairmont State Fighting Falcons, who have gained national notoriety with their play this season, ranked as the 11th best team in Division II. The Cardinals battled and gave the Falcons a difficult time, however, Fairmont would hold on until the final horn by a final score of 71-64.
The Cardinals found themselves trailing 11-5 to start the game off, but over time, Wheeling chipped away at the deficit, beginning with a layup from Caleb Murray at the 13:34 mark of the first half. Five minutes later, a pair of free throws from S.J Hutchinson would knot the scoreboard up at 13 a side. Hutchinson would be responsible for the first Cardinal lead of the game with a layup of his own and a little later. Then, he caused the Falcons to turn the ball over with a steal and fed itl to William Gabbert in the paint for a layup to make it 19-15 Cards. Hutchinson's play remained consistent throughout the back portion of the first half with a triple and another assist. Sean Ealy closed the books on the half with a three-pointer as Wheeling trotted into the locker room only down three, 30-27.
A layup from Ealy kept the Cardinals within three to open the second half, but the Fighting Falcons came out energized, slamming two dunks in just over a minute. Head coach Chris Richardson called a quick timeout and used the opportunity for a reset, down 44-33 with 15:19 showing on the clock. The breather worked out as Ealy connected from downtown almost immediately and Hutchinson's jumper was good for two more points. A nice look from Alex Smith allowed Ealy to launch another successful deep ball to bring the game to within five, but the Falcons quickly widened the gap again to 53-41 with 11 minutes to play.
The 10 minute media timeout is when Wheeling pressed harder on the gas pedal, specifically, two minutes after. Ealy made good on another three, Tee Harris jr. did his job in the paint with a layup, and Gabbert pulled the trigger from range to make it 61-54. A big block by Hutchinson transitioned the Cardinal into the final five minutes of play. Gabbert used that momentum to hit a jump shot, Hutchinson converted on both of his free throws, and Ealy did it again from behind the arc, hitting a clutch three-pointer, causing an eruption inside the McDonough Center. With the scoreboard reading 65-62 with under three minutes left, Coach Richardson used another timeout to talk strategy and to give his players a breather. Time ticked down, but stopped to allow Ealy to his free throws. Fairmont called a timeout once play resumed again and iced the game at the line as the Falcons escaped Wheeling with a 71-64 win.
Sean Ealy dazzled once more, as he led the floor with 26 points while shooting just under 53% and made five of eight shots from behind the outer ring. Alex Smith led the floor in the rebound category, coming down with 15. S.J Hutchinson put up 13 points and was a perfect six for six from the charity stripe. William Gabbert finished with nine points and Tee Harris jr. ended with eight.
The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team will be away from home, as they journey to Maryland to take on the Frostburg Bobcats on Saturday, February 15th, at 4 pm.
