Wheeling, W. Va. - While every game is big for the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (11-5, 6-3) there are two dates the team circles on the calendar every year. The first of those two dates comes on Saturday, when the Cardinals head up Route 88 to the Hilltop to battle West Liberty. Tip-off was pushed up two hours to accommodate the impending snow storm this weekend, with the two teams set to square off inside the Academic Sports & Recreation Complex (ASRC) at 2 PM.
Last time out, the Cardinals were on their home floor for their final non-conference game of the season against Salem. It was a fast start that would get Wheeling going, as they scored the game's first eight points over the first four minutes of play. They were able to hold the Tigers under the 10-point mark until just over 10 minutes to play, holding a 21-10 lead. As the half went on, Salem began to find their groove, going shot for shot with the Cardinals. A big three pointer before the half would send Wheeling into halftime leading 40-30, and the offense would just keep going. The Cardinals would double their lead The Cardinals would double their lead to 70-59 10 minutes into the new half, and they got a chance to ride their bench through the final 10 minutes. The bench would account for 10 of the final 15 Cardinal points on the night, and Wheeling would go on to win by the final score of 85-69, improving to 11-5 on the season.
The Cardinal bench accounted for 35 of those 85 points, led by the effort of Jerry Saunders Jr. The senior guard finished with a team-best 14 points in the effort, thanks to taking good shots throughout the night. He would end up as Wheeling's most efficient shooter, going 4-8 from the floor, with all four of those makes coming from three-point range. He was one of two Cardinals to make three or more three-pointers, finishing as the most efficient shooter from behind the arc going 4-6 (66.7%). Saunders Jr has been a big spark plug off the bench for the Cardinals as of late, hitting double figures in three of his last four games. During that stretch, he is averaging 11.25 PPG, and is looking to continue to be that solid sixth man off the bench down the stretch.
On the defensive end, the Cardinals outrebounded Salem 40-37 and forced 15 turnovers thanks in large part to the leadership of Alex Smith. Smith led the Cardinals with 12 rebounds in the effort while also leading the group with three steals. It has continued a string of success on the defensive end for the redshirt junior that has seen him average 8.8 rebounds per game and 2.6 steals/game over his last five games. Another important aspect of the Cardinal's success has been the team's ball movement, and that effort has been led by Ayden Goll. Despite being held in single-digits in each of his last two games, Goll has been the team's leading passer with 14 assists in two games. He is averaging 7.0 assists per game during that run, while continuing his efficiency from the charity stripe, going 9-13 (69.2%).
With the forecast calling from anywhere between 8-12 inches of snow in the Ohio Valley, Saturday's game was pushed up to 2 PM to account for the incoming weather. Despite the snow that will be falling outside, the action inside is going to be hotter than ever as the MEC Tournament race comes down to its final six weeks. Wheeling currently holds their spot as the #4 team in the conference, and currently sit just 2.5 games behind the Hilltoppers for the top spot in the standings. It will be the second time this season they have faced a ranked opponent, with West Liberty sitting #14 in the nation according to the National Basketball Coaches Association. The Cardinals look to keep their momentum rolling and open the season series with a bang on the hilltop.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 73rd time in program history, with West Liberty leading the all-time series at 50-22. Seven of those 22 wins have come on the road, where the Cardinals are 7-25 all-time and are looking for their first road win against the Hilltoppers since January 24th, 2018. The Cardinals are averaging 83.97 points per game in the all-time series, and have scored 90+ points in each of the last three meetings.
The last meeting between the two teams came on March 1st, 2025, in a game that West Liberty would win 119-103. Leading the way was former Cardinal Sean Ealy, who finished with 20 points while going 3-6 from three-point range in the effort. Alex Smith and former Cardinal S.J. Hutchinson each added 16 points to round out the scoring, while Smith also led the team with eight rebounds.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside the ASRC on the campus of West Liberty University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
