Wheeling, W. Va. - Throughout the month of January, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (11-7, 6-5) have played on the road every Saturday during the month. As they close out 2026's opening month, the Cardinals will play their first home weekend game of 2026 when they host West Virginia State with tip-off at 4 PM. The Cardinals look to bounce back from their first string of back-to-back losses this season as they continue their battle for a spot in the 2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Basketball tournament.
Last time out, the Cardinals traveled to the University of Charleston, where they would fall on the road 88-79. The first half would see the teams battle back and forth, with the score sitting tied at 41-41 entering halftime. For the second game in a row, the Cardinals battled back in the final minutes of the half, scoring the final five first half points, to put themselves in position for a second half push. After the break, the Cardinals would come out swinging, hitting a big three and holding the lead through the first four minutes of the first half. The lead would change hands four times over the first 10 minutes, but a pair of late runs by the Golden Eagles would make the difference. The Cardinals made one last stand in the final minute, getting to within six points of Charleston, but they would end up falling by the final score of 88-79.
Leading the effort for the Cardinals was senior Caleb Murray, who continued his recent strong of success on the court. The senior put up 22 points, eclipsing the 20-point mark for the third time in the last six games, while being the Cardinal's most efficient shooter from the floor. He would go 8-15 (53.3%) from the floor, while adding a perfect 4-4 mark from the charity stripe. It continues a string of success for Murray that has seen him average 18.8 points per game over his last six games, while shooting 46.1% (41-89) from the floor. The effort helped raise his season scoring average to 14.2 points per game, putting him second on the team, while he sits second shooting 41.1% from three-point range. He looks to continue his success in the final month of the season to lead the Cardinal's offense.
Tee Harris Jr. Would finish right behind Murray, putting up 14 points in the effort, while also leading the defensive effort with six rebounds. Harris has made his impact felt on both sides of the ball as of late, hitting double figures for the fourth game in a row. Harris picked up his first double-double of the season last Saturday against West Liberty, and he has hit double figures in seven of the team's eight games in 2026. Rounding out the effort was Alex Smith, who led the passing game with seven assists on the day. Smith has been the leader of the offense on the floor, bringing the ball up and helping the Cardinal's ball movement. He has racked up 13 assists over his last two games, and will be a key piece to the offensive success down the stretch.
As the Cardinal's close out January, they are looking to battle their way back into the top four of the conference. They currently sit sixth in the conference at 6-5 overall and remain just 1.5 back from being as high as third place in the conference. They continue on their path to clinching an MEC Tournament spot, with their magic number sitting at five entering Saturday's game. Wheeling will take advantage of a heavy home schedule, with five of their final nine games being inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. The Cardinals hold a 6-2 record on their home floor this season, and will look to continue to add to that mark this weekend.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the 45th time in program history, and the second time in the 2025-2026 season. After dropping the first contest between the two teams on the road, the Cardinals come back home where they hold an 11-8 record all-time against West Virginia State. The Yellow Jackets have won 10 of the last 11 match-ups between the two teams, in what has been an offensive series seeing the Cardinals average 83.95 points per game.
The last meeting between the two teams came on December 10th, 2025, in a game that West Virginia State won 92-81. Leading the way for the Cardinals was Kris English, who came off the bench with 16 points, while going 5-9 (55.5%) from the floor. Ayden Goll added 15 points in the effort, while Tee Harris Jr. (11) and DJ Wingfield (11) added double digit efforts in the effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 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.
