Wheeling, W. Va. - On Wednesday night, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (14-8, 9-6) battled back late, but fell to nationally ranked Fairmont State 77-60. As they come home for the weekend, the Cardinals are looking to bounce back when they take on Frostburg State, with tip-off at 4 PM. Wheeling enters play locked in a three-way tie for third with Glenville State and Charleston, and a win would help them break through the pack and maintain a top three position in the conference standings.
On Wednesday, the Cardinals traveled to the Joe Retton Arena, where they took on Fairmont State in a battle of two top three teams in the MEC. The Falcons took it to the Cardinals early, scoring the first six points of the game and jumping out to an 11-2 lead by the first media timeout. The Cardinals would work their way back into the game over the next five minutes, outscoring the Falcons 13-7 during the run to get within five points. However, it would be a game of runs for Fairmont State, and they headed into the halftime break with a 41-26 advantage. In the second half, the Cardinals made it back to as close as a 12-point game with 12:02 to go, but a 13-0 swing by the Falcons would be enough to sink the Cardinals. The bench would come through at the end of the game, scoring the final 11 points of regulation, but it was too little too late as the Cardinals fell 77-60.
Pacing the effort for the Cardinals was redshirt freshman Ayden Goll, who was one of three double digit scorers for the Cardinals on the night. He would finish with 14 points in the effort, four of those coming from the charity stripe, while tying for the team lead with a 5-10 (50%) mark from the floor. After taking a back seat on offense in the middle of January, Goll has ramped things back up as the season comes to its final month, riding a six-game streak of scoring in double figures. He is averaging 18.2 PPG during the run, while seeing his season average sitting at 17.8 PPG. He currently sits as the third leading scorer in the conference, sitting behind Frostburg State's Trey Simmons (23.5 PPG) and Point Park's Aidan Anderson (19.1 PPG). He is going to be a key piece of the Cardinal's offense down the stretch as they fight for an MEC title.
Sitting right behind him was Caleb Murray, who finished with 13 points, including a team-best three three-pointers in the effort. Murray has matched Goll's offensive presence as of late, also scoring in double figures in six straight games, averaging 20.8 PPG during the stretch. However, he has also been playing some of his best defense of his career, tasked with guarding the other team's top scorer. He would help limit two Fairmont State starters to seven points, and continues to impact both sides of the ball. Leading the defensive charge against Fairmont State was Alex Smith, who did not get on the scroesheet, but led the effort with 12 rebounds and three steals. He recorded his 500th rebound last Saturday against Davis & Elkins and has been the vocal leader on the court for the Cardinals throughout the season.
With just three weeks to go in the MEC regular season schedule, it is crunch time for the Cardinals as they battle for seeding in the MEC Tournament. They have already clinched their spot at WesBanco Arena, and are now fighting for the first round bye. Their magic number to clinch that first round bye sits at four, and a win on Saturday against Frostburg State would help them drop that number to two heading into the final two weeks of play. The final two week schedule doesn't get any easier for the Cardinals, with the team having to take on three of the top six teams over their final five games. In the first go around, the Cardinals have a combined record of 3-2 against their final five opponents of the season, and they look to continue that success ahead of tournament play.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 14th time in program history on Saturday, and the second time during the 2025-2026 season. Wheeling has played much better at home against the Bobcats, going 5-1 compared to a 4-3 record on the road, and the Cardinals lead the all-time series at 9-4. It has been a high scoring series, with the Cardinals averaging 88.15 points per game, and they have scored 80+ points in each of the last seven meetings with the Bobcats.
The first meeting of the season came back on January 10th, when the Cardinals defeated the Bobcats 115-98 inside Bobcat Arena. Caleb Murray would have a big day for the Cardinals, picking up a double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds in the effort. He was one of three Cardinals to score 20+ points in the game, with Tee Harris Jr. (25) and Ayden Goll (22) each hitting the mark in the win.
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.
