Wheeling, W. Va. - As the calendar turned from January to February, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (10-12, 5-9) has hit a hot streak, winning three games in a row entering Saturday. The Cardinals continued riding high on a special senior day doubleheader, as they took down Davis & Elkins 80-73 to pick up their fourth straight victory. Sean Ealy and William Gabbert were honored in a pregame ceremony, and both played a big role in helping the Cardinals pick up their fifth conference win of the season.
After the ceremonies concluded, it was the Senators who made a splash early on, scoring the first six points of the game. It was senior Sean Ealy who would break the run, and the Cardinals answered back with five straight points of their own to make it 6-5 two and a half minutes into the game. However, the Senators were able to hold the lead, pushing it to 12-6 as they hit the first media timeout of the night. The Cardinals regrouped during the break and would make a push following Jerry Saunders Jr. Free throw. With the score sitting at 14-8, the Cardinals would go on a 7-0 run, capped by a Jaylon Jackson three, and the Cardinals had their first lead of the night at 15-14. The lead would continue flipping sides, changing hands four times over the next two minutes, but it was a pair of Alex Smith free throws that gave the Cardinals a 19-18 lead as the 10-minute mark ticked by.
The game remained tied at 20-20 with 8:26 to go before the half, before Tee Harris went 4-4 from the free throw line to make it 23-20 in favor of the Cardinals. Wheeling was able to hold this lead for the rest of the half, despite Davis & Elkins cutting the lead to one on four separate occasions. The score would sit at 30-29 with 3:36 to go before the half, before Sean Ealy would get the Cardinals some buffer room with a layup. It started a 7-2 Cardinal run over the next three minutes, with four different Cardinals contributing, as the team built their biggest lead of the night at 37-30. Davis & Elkins were able to put up the final two points of the half on free throws to break the run, but the Cardinals would go into the locker room with a 37-32 lead. Despite shooting just 28.13% from the floor in the half, the Cardinal's defense was able to get enough stops on the other end to keep the Cardinals in the lead.
As the teams returned from the locker room, the senators would be first on the board, but the Cardinals quickly responded with a jumper from Jerry Saunders Jr. Davis & Elkins would go on an 8-2 run to start the new quarter, and took a 40-39 lead, their first since the 10 minute mark of the first half. William Gabbert would help the Cardinals even the game at 41-41, and it would be a free throw by Jaylon Jackson that got the Cardinals back in front. They would go on an 8-2 run over the next three minutes, with Tee Harris capping it off with a three-pointer, and the Cardinals would go ahead 49-43 with 12:10 to play. It was Davis & Elkins's turn to respond, and they did just that, going on a 6-3 run as the 10 minute mark came around, and they made it a 52-49 Wheeling lead heading down the final stretch.
Curtis Harrison IV would stop the run with a tip-in and began what was a strong 10-minute push for the junior forward. The Cardinal's lead would fluctuate anywhere between six and three points over the next seven minutes, with the Cardinals leading 65-63 at the final media timeout, and 68-64 with 4:12 to play. Ealy would hit a three-pointer to give the Cardinals some separation and after a pair of Davis & Elkins free throws, Harrison would complete a three-point play to push the Cardinal lead to 74-66. Wheeling would look to get some big stops on defense, and got just that, allowing just two points over the next two minutes. Meanwhile, the Cardinals would go on a 5-0 run from the free throw line, with Ealy Smith, and Harrison sealing the deal. Gabbert would be the final Cardinal on the scoreboard with a free throw, and the Cardinals would go on to win by the final score of 80-73.
Leading the way for the Cardinals on senior day was senior guard Sean Ealy, who finished with 21 points, while shooting 43.75% (7-16) from the floor. Ealy continues his tear on offense as of late, scoring 20 or more points for the third time in the past four games in the senior day victory. Two more Cardinals would hit double figures on the day, with Alex Smith (13) and Curtis Harrison IV (10) each hitting the mark on the night. Alex Smith would finish with a double-double, finishing with a team-high 11 rebounds, while going 11-11 from the free throw line. Smith would also be the team leader with four assists, while Harrison, Caleb Murray, and Tee Harris Jr. Each finished with two blocks to round out the day.
The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team returns to action on Wednesday, February 12th, when they host Fairmont State with tip-off at 7:30 PM.
