Glenville, W. Va. - With a chance to officially clinch their spot in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (10-16, 5-13) made a trip to the Waco Center in Glenville, West Virginia. The Cardinals shot 42.1% from the floor as a team, and had three double digit scorers on the day, but it wasn't enough as they fell to Glenville State 80-69. However, with West Virginia Wesleyan falling to West Virginia State, the Cardinal's magic number fell to one, giving them a chance to clinch that spot with a win on Wednesday.
Leading the way for Wheeling was junior S.J. Hutchinson, who finished with 17 points in the effort. He would shoot 6-14 (42.9%) from the floor and picked up his first career double-double, leading the team with 10 rebounds. He got back into double digits for the first time since a 13-point effort against Fairmont State on February 12th, as he continues to be a strong part of the offense. He was one of three Cardinals to hit double digits on the day, with Sean Ealy (16) and Jerry Saunders Jr. (14) each hitting the mark on the day. Ealy and Alex Smith would tie for the team lead with two assists each, while Saunders Jr. Was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter, hitting 50% (5-10) of his shots. As a team, the Cardinals shot 40% or better in each half, as they continue to improve their efficiency as the season comes to a close.
Hutchinson's big day got started right from the get-go as he scored the first five points of the day for the Cardinals over the first two and a half minutes. He helped get the Cardinals out to a 5-1 lead, and after Glenville State got on the board, Ealy would hit a three that started the Cardinals on a 6-0 run. Hutchinson would end the run with a tip-off and with 13:32 to go in the half the Cardinals were staked to a 13-3 lead. Wheeling kept that lead at 15-5 before a series of Glenville State runs got them back in the game. They would hit an 8-2 run as the 10 minute mark ticked away and got to within four points of the Cardinals at 17-13. The lone two points came from Curtis Harrison IV as the Cardinals looked to get back on track.
It would be Caleb Murray that would hit that shot for the Cardinals, hitting his first three of the day and Harrison was back at it with a layup that made it a 22-13 game. A second Pioneer run, this time an 11-2 swing, would tie the game at 24-24 with 6:28 to play before the half. It would remain tied until right before the media timeout , when Saunders came to the line and hit a pair of free throws that gave Wheeling a 26-24 lead. Saunders would play a strong role down the five-minute stretch, adding six more points for the Cardinals as they remained on top 34-31 with 1:58 to go. Alex Smith would end the 6-2 run with a layup to make it 36-31 and, after Glenville State made it a 36-34 game, the Cardinals would end the half strong. Hutchinson would hit a pair of free throws and the Cardinals went into the break with a 38-34 lead.
As they came out of the locker room, Glenville state would get on the board first, but the Cardinals hit a string of success from three-point range. Hutchinson and Saunders would each hit three-pointers out of the break and Saunders added a layup that completed the 8-0 run. The Pioneers responded with six points of their own and the back and forth continued through the half. The Cardinals held a 47-42 lead following the media timeout, but the Pioneer's Maxwell Ammar scored five straight points to tie the contest at 47-47. Ealy would hit a layup to keep the Cardinals in front, but Glenville State answered with an 11-0 run that lasted over six minutes and put the Cardinals behind 60-51.
With 7:12 to play, Ealy would add a free throw, and Hutchinson a tip-in but the Pioneer lead continued to grow as they led 64-54 at the 6:36 mark. Tee Harris jr. And Ealy would continue to score for the Cardinals and after the media timeout, the Cardinal's trailed 65-58. The Cardinals would get to within seven points of the Pioneers on two different occasions, with Ealy hitting a jumper that made it a 69-62 game. However, it would be one more Pioneer run that put the game out of reach, as they hit a 9-2 run and the Cardinals trailed 78-64 with 35 seconds to play. William Gabbert would hit the final three and Hutchinson added a layup to end the game and bring things to their final score of 80-69.
The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, February 26th, when they host Point Park with tip-off at 7:30 PM.
