Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (9-4, 5-2) has played some of their best basketball at home this season, going 5-1 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. On Wednesday, the team looks to continue their winning ways when they welcome in Mountain East Conference (MEC)-leading Concord with tip-off at 7:30 PM. The Cardinals offense went off in a bounce-back win on Saturday, and they look to continue that momentum into their Wednesday night match-up.
The Cardinals hit the road Saturday, when they took on Frostburg State in a game that featured a combined 213 points between the two teams. The Bobcats would get the early advantage, but the Cardinals would battle back and didn't give up the lad for the rest of the half. It was thanks to their efficient shooting, that saw them go 55.6% from the floor and 63.2% from three-point range, that saw them head into the halftime break with a 63-51 advantage. The scoring margin was much closer over the final 20 minutes, with Wheeling outscoring the Bobcats 52-47, but the early lead was enough for the Cardinals to hold on. They would reach the 100-point mark with 6:02 to go and went on to win by the final score of 115-98.
Pacing the effort for the Cardinals was senior Caleb Murray, who set a career high with 30 points in the effort. He was the Cardinal's leading shooter, going 11-19 (57.9%) from the floor and 6-12 (50%) from three-point range. He was a big part of the Cardinal's first half offensive surge that saw the Cardinals shoot the ball at a 63.2% rate from three-point range. The six three-pointers were a new career high for the senior, breaking his old mark by two three-pointers. Along with the offensive success, Murray was also a leader on the defensive side, finishing with 10 rebounds to pick up his first double-double of the season. Of those 10 rebounds, seven came on the defensive end of the ball, while he added three offensive rebounds.
In total, three Cardinals hit the 20-point mark in the game, with Tee Harris Jr. continuing his offensive success. He put up a career-best 25 points, shooting 46.6% (7-15) from the floor, while adding a team-best four offensive rebounds. Since the 2026 portion of the schedule has begun, Harris has gotten things going from the offensive side, averaging 17.7 points per game over his last three contests. The final Cardinal to hit the 20-point mark was Ayden Goll, who finished with 22 in the winning effort. It raised his season average to 17.8 points per game, setting him as the third leading scorer in the MEC this season. It was the fourth time this season that Goll has gone over the 20-point mark, as he continues to be a catalyst for the Cardinal offense.
Entering Wednesday's game, the Cardinals will have their hands full, going toe-to-toe with the second-best defense in the conference. Through their first 13 games, Concord has allowed an average of 74.8 points per game, sitting just 0.8 points behind Fairmont State for the top spot in the conference. On the offensive end, Concord is the seventh highest scoring team, averaging 83.0 PPG, for a margin of 8.2 on the season. They are coming off their first conference loss of the season at the hands of Davis & Elkins, moving them to 9-4 overall and 6-1 in MEC play. The Cardinals currently sit one game behind the Mountain Lions for the top spot in the conference in what has been a jumbled up standings. There are currently four teams all sitting within a game of the top spot in the conference, with West Liberty, Fairmont State, and Wheeling all vying for the top spot. A win on Wednesday, would vault the Cardinals to the top of that race as they battle for MEC Tournament seeding.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Mountain Lions are meeting for the 46th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 25-20. The home team has led the all-time series, with Wheeling going 14-8 at home compared to a 9-10 record when they head to Athens, West Virginia. Wheeling is averaging 82.11 points per game and are looking to break a six-game losing streak at the hands of the Mountain Lions.
The last meeting between the two teams came on February 19th, 2025, in a game that Concord would win 93-84. Former Cardinal Sean Ealy led the way with 26 points, whole shooting a team-best 11-19 from the floor in the win. Jerry Saunders Jr. would add 15 points, while former Cardinal William Gabbert would round out the effort with 14 points.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
