Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (9-12, 4-9) will play their final Saturday home game of the regular season Saturday when they face Davis & Elkins at 4 PM. Wheeling has been on a roll as of late, winning three straight games, and they look to keep the good times rolling as they honor their seniors in a pregame senior day ceremony. Senior Guard Sean Ealy and senior forward William Gabbert will be recognized for their hard work and dedication to the program.
The Cardinals are coming off their third straight win during this stretch, after beating West Virginia Wesleyan on the road 80-73. Wheeling came out on fire in the first half, making 57.78% of their shots from the floor and 40% of their shots from three-point range. Through the first 13 minutes, the game sat tied at 30-30, before the Cardinals hit a 10-0 run that blew things open. The Cardinal defense went on a run of nearly six minutes where they did not allow a point to the opposition, and the Cardinals would go into the locker room with a 43-31 advantage. Wheeling was able to maintain their double-digit lead into the second half, holding a 63-52 lead with 8:38 to play. The Bobcats would end up making one final push, getting as close at 65-59, but the Cardinals were able to put the game away over the final five minutes to pick up the 80-73 win.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was junior Curtis Harrison IV, who set a new season-high with 19 points in the effort. After suffering an injury that caused him to miss almost the entire first month of the season, Harrison has come back strong off the bench for the Cardinals. It was his third double digit effort of the season, and the first time he hit double figures since scoring 10 points against Concord back on January 18th. The key to his success was his efficiency from the floor, hitting seven of his eight shots on the night while adding a 4-4 mark from the free throw line. It was Harrison who ended up putting the game out of reach late, sending the Cardinals on a 5-0 run that made it 70-69 with four minutes to go and put the game out of reach for the Bobcats.
The other Cardinal to make his presence known off the bench was Caleb Murray, who ended the night with 10 points. Like Harrison, Murray was efficient from the floor, making 44.4% (4-9) of his shots, while leading the team with two makes from three-point range. Murray has been the Cardinal's third most efficient shooter from three-point range, making 38.7% of his shots from the long range. The final double digit scorer for the Cardinals was Sean Ealy, who finished with 14 points, while tying for the team lead with four assists. Ealy has been as consistent as they have come for the Cardinals this season, averaging a team-best 17.9 PPG. Ealy sits fifth in the conference in points per game and tied for second in total points (376) and looks to continue his offensive success.
During this three-game win streak, the Cardinals have jumped one spot in the MEC Standings, holding a half game lead over Point Park for the #9 seed. With a win on Saturday, the Cardinals can jump up to at least the #8 seed and sits two games behind Frostburg State for the #7 seed. The Cardinals are still battling for the possibility of a first round bye, and with a veteran team on their hands, they look to string together wins down the stretch to earn that bye. Two of those veterans, Ealy and Gabbert, will be honored on Saturday, with each helping the program grow over their time with the Cardinals. Gabbert is a four-year member of the program, and has gone from being one of the first kids recruited by Head Coach Chris Richardson to a regular contributor on the court. Ealy transferred in last season and since joining the team has been a leader on the offensive end.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 33rd time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 23-9. Of those 23 wins, 15 of those have come in the Alma Grace McDonough Center, where the Cardinals are 15-3 in previous matchups. It has been a high scoring matchup overall, with the Cardinals averaging 82.41 points per game in the all-time series, and have scored 80+ points in each of the last two meetings between the two teams.
Saturday will be the second time the two teams have met this season, with Davis & Elkins taking the first matchup 98-83. The Cardinals were led by their senior duo Sean Ealy and William Gabbert, who each finished with 18 points in the effort. Caleb Murray added a season-high 16 points off the bench while Alex Smith finished with 12 points in the effort, while grabbing 14 rebounds.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center, with senior day beginning at approximately 3:50 PM. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
