Wheeling, W. Va. - It was a big week for the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team as they went 2-0 in a week they battled Charleston and West Virginia State. The Mountain East Conference (MEC) released their weekly Athlete of the Week awards on Monday, and it was the Cardinal's leader who was honored for his work. Sean Ealy was named the MEC Men's Basketball Player of the Week, after scoring nearly 60 points on his way to leading the Cardinal's offense.
Ealy was a factor on all sides of the ball for the Cardinals this past week, finishing with 56 points, six rebounds, and 13 assists. He scored 20 or more points in both games and was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter, making 53.1% (17-32) of the shots he took. Ealy is currently in a three-game stretch where he has scored 20 or more points, while posting in double digits in each of the last seven games. Along with his individual stats, Ealy also reached a collegiate career milestone, scoring 1,500 career points between his time with the Cardinals and Parkland Community College. It is the third time this season that the conference has named Ealy its top weekly basketball honoree as he continues to lead the Cardinals down the stretch.
Things started out strong for Ealy in his opener, when he put up a team-high 24 points, with 22 of those coming in the second half, in a 77-70 win over the University of Charleston. It was in this effort that he was able to reach the 1,500 career point milestone, scoring the point on his second to last free throw of the night. With the win already under their belts, Ealy came back on Saturday and did one better than his Wednesday night performance. He would put up 32 points in the winning effort over West Virginia State, falling just four points shy of hitting his career-high. He was even more efficient from the floor than he was on Wednesday night, shooting 57.1% (8-14) on his way to leading the Cardinals to a 97-92 victory.
The award marks Ealy's third MEC Player of the Week award this season, and the 35th time that a Wheeling Student-Athlete has earned the honor. Ealy has won all three of the Wheeling Men's Basketball team's awards this season, and takes home his second award of the 2025 portion of the schedule. The Cardinals did not have a Player of the Week named a week ago, but saw Wrestler Gavin Harper and Swimmer Jade Miller earn Player of the Week honors back on January 20th.
The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, February 5th, when they hit the road to face West Virginia Wesleyan at 7:30 PM.
