Wheeling, W.Va- The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (10-14), (5-11) are currently on a two-game skid with losses to Fairmont State and Frostburg State following their four-game win streak at the end of January and beginning of February. Although it is possible, it will be a tall order to fill for the Cardinals to get back in the win column in their next game against the regionally recognized Concord Mountain Lions, who are rolling hot with an eight-game win streak.

Wheeling's last game did not go as planned when they traveled to Frostbrug, Maryland to play the Bobcats. The Cardinals started well, taking a 15-9 lead, but they soon were introduced to Frostburg's aerial attack. The Bobcats sank three consecutive deep balls to take the lead and never let go for the duration of the contest. Tee Harris jr. gave hope to the Cardinals in the second half, accounting for the first 11 points in the opening three minutes. Wheeling outscored Frostburg in the second half overall, but the margin the Bobcats built in the first separated the two and they defeated the Cardinals 105-83.

Following the heartbreaking loss, Cardinal Head Coach Chris Richardson commented on the energy at the next practice. "There was a lot of accountability… We had a tremendous practice Monday night. This team has responded all year when things don't go their way. They pick up the pieces and get right back to it, and that's what we did (Monday) night, that's what we're going to do this week."

Despite the loss, Tee Harris jr. showcased his skillset with multiple dunks and impressive accuracy throughout the duration of the contest. He finished making seven of his eight attempts, for a field goal percentage of 87.5%. This marked the 11th time this season that Harris has eclipsed the double-digit point mark. The 19-point performance from the sophomore was his best outing since the tilt against Bryant & Stratton, when he put up 24 points. Harris sits second on the team in scoring with 259 points and 155 rebounds. In those categories, he is also second averaging 10.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. However, even though Harris is a big contributor offensively, his play can mainly be felt on the defensive side of the court. He sits fourth in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) with 33 blocks, which places his team fourth overall in blocked shots.

Two other Cardinals reached double-digit points: Curtis Harrison IV and Jaylon Jackson. Both players have been instrumental for the Cardinals coming off the bench and have seen an uptick in minutes over the past few games. Harrison's best outing of the season came recently in the game against West Virginia Wesleyan. The junior transfer made seven of eight in that contest and was just as efficient against the Bobcats, going four of five from the field to total 12 points. Jackson, along with Harrison, has been called upon more frequently. Against the Bobcats, Jackson tied his career-high with 17 minutes played and achieved a new career-high in points with his 10. The true freshman from Texas is full of energy and is something the Cardinals are hoping to keep developing for the remainder of the season and in the future.

Coach Richardson commented about the versatility of his roster and specifically the bench. "We're gonna continue to respond. We're gonna continue to work. I know the guys will be ready for whatever is required of them that night." When asked about the upcoming game against Concord, he stated, "(There are) no nights off in the Mountain East…We're gonna have our hands full with Concord…We need to have a better 40 minute effort tomorrow night in order to come out with the win."
 

Scouting the Lions from the Mountain

Wheeling has the all-time series advantage of 25 wins against 19 losses in the 44 total meetings against Concord dating back to 1998. However, the Mountain Lions have been victorious in the previous five contests, including a 105-76 win earlier this season on January 18th in Athens, West Virginia. In that game, Sean Ealy went nine of 15 from the field for 20 points while Curtis Harrison IV dropped 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds. For Concord, five players finished with 10 or more points and four of them were starters in that contest. 

The Mountain Lions have weapons throughout their lineup. Junior guard Kollin Tolbert comfortably sits atop the MEC scoring list with 476 points, while his 21.6 points per game average puts him 19th in all of Division II. In Concord's 81-66 win over Davis & Elkins last time out, Tolbert finished with 20 points, which was the second-most points scored during that game for the Mountain Lions.

Concord is 15-7 with a 12-4 conference record, which slots them third in the MEC. For the second week in a row, Concord appeared in the D2CSC Men's Basketball Regional Poll and was placed seventh. 

 

The Details

The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team hosts the Concord Mountain Lions on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025, inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 pm. The game will be live streamed HERE and LiveStats will be made accessible HERE. 

Additionally, we ask everyone planning to attend to bring their new or gently worn sneakers to our shoe drive, hosted by the Sole Bros Foundation, a charity started by Wheeling's very own Chris Harrision IV. In a recent interview, Harrison describes the charity and how to get involved.

"Sole Bros is a 501c3 non-profit that got started in 2015… We collect gently used sneakers and we donate them to underprivileged kids around the world. We've donated shoes to Jamaica, Ghana, Texas, and Cincinnati and hopefully to Wheeling soon." He continues, "It means a lot. I'm very blessed. My parents always raised me to give back to people who are underprivileged…It's a great feeling to see (those) kids smile."

Any type of gently worn shoes will be accepted such as boots and dress shoes, but sneakers are preferred. If you are able to and would like to help financially, monetary donations will be accepted too. If you cannot make it to the game tomorrow night, but still want to show your support, visit the official Sole Bros Foundation site HERE to donate and follow them across all social media platforms.