Wheeling, W. Va. – During the past three weeks, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (10-13, 5-10) have been playing their best basketball of the season. On Saturday, they look to bounce back from a tough game on Wednesday when they take on Frostburg State at 4 PM. The Cardinals have won four of their last five games and are looking to continue their battle for both a Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament spot and a first round bye.
The Cardinals welcomed in #11 ranked Fairmont State on Wednesday night, and put together one of their best defensive efforts of the season. They held the #11 ranked team in the country to a 39% mark from the floor, and kept them at just 31% throughout the first half. After the Falcons built an 11-3 early lead, Wheeling came storming back on a 10-2 run and tied things at 13-13 with eight minutes to go. The teams went back and forth throughout the rest of the half, but a late three made the difference as Fairmont State went into halftime up 30-27. The Falcons would find their groove in the second half, building a 10-point lead over the Cardinals, but Wheeling again battled back, making it 65-62 with 2:58 to go. In the end, that was as close as they would get as they fell 71-64.
Leading the way for the Cardinals once again was Sean Ealy, who finished with 26 points in the effort. It was the fifth time this season that Ealy has gone over the 25-point mark in a game, and the first time that he has accomplished the feat since February 1st when he put up 32 points in the win against West Virginia State. He was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter on the day, making nine of 17 shots for a 52.9% mark from the floor. His two biggest shots came at the end of each half, tying the game with a three at the end of the first half, and getting the team within three points of the Falcons with a three late in the second half. He currently sits third in the conference with 18.4 PPG and second with 423 total points as he looks to continue leading the Cardinal's success.
Th other double digit scorer was S.J. Hutchinson, who is making the most of his opportunities in the starting lineup. Over his last seven games, Hutchinson has scored double figures in four of his last seven games, while averaging 10.1 PPG. He has his season average back to double figures, averaging 10.0 PPG and looks to continue being a spark in the starting lineup. While he only scored two points on the night, Alex Smith once again played a big role on the defensive end, finishign with 15 rebounds on the night. He currently sits second in the conference with an average of 9.3 rebounds per game and 214 rebounds so far this season. As his scoring has up ticked in the second half, he looks to continue being a leader on both sides of the ball as the season goes on.
With five games left in the regular season schedule, the race is on for both a berth in the MEC Tournament and a first round bye in that tournament. The Cardinals currently hold a tie for the #8 spot in the conference, tied with Davis & Elkins with a 5-10 conference record. The Cardinals magic number for clinching a playoff berth sits at three and a win on Saturday over Frostburg State would go a long way in helping the Cardinals both clinch a playoff berth and a first round bye. The Cardinals are sitting just a half game behind Frostburg State for the #7 seed and two games back of Glenville State for the final first round bye as they look to hit a run at the end of the season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 12th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 8-3. The series has been much closer all-time at Frostburg State, with the Cardinals going 3-2 compared to a 5-1 mark when the teams meet in the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Cardinal offense has been the centerpiece during the all-time series, averaging 86.18 points per game in 11 games an have scored 80 or more points in each of the last five matchups.
Their first meeting of the season came back on January 11th, 2025, in a game that Frostburg State would win 91-86. The Cardinals were led by Sean Ealy, who finished with 22 points while shooting 7-15 from the floor. Tee Harris jr. Would match that mark, putting up 17 points, while Alex Smith (14) and William Gabbert (12) rounded out the double digit scorers for the Cardinals.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is schedule for 4 PM inside Bobcat Arena on the campus of Frostburg State. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with live stats by clicking HERE.
