Wheeling, W. Va. - As the first established varsity program in 1957-1958, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team has a storied history in Wheeling. On Saturday, the Cardinals will look to build on that history when they host Glenville State University with tip-off at 4 PM. If the Cardinals are able to beat the Pioneers inside the McDonough Center, it will be the 900th win in program history as they look to keep their recent string of momentum rolling.
Last time out, the Cardinals traveled to Athens, West Virginia for a crucial game against Concord. The Cardinals got out to an early start, scoring eight of the first 11 points, but it was a back and forth first half. The Cardinals would have the slight edge thanks to a late 7-2 run and went into the locker room with a 35-32 lead. The Cardinals were looking for more efficiency in the second half, after shooting 39.4% (13-33) from the floor, and they came out and did just that. Concord scored first out of the locker room, but the Cardinals hit 6-0 run to get their biggest lead of the day at 41-34. As a team, Wheeling would make 54.5% (18-33) of their shots down the stretch and it was enough to hold off the Mountain Lions. Concord outscored the Cardinals 42-39 in that second half, but Wheeling was able to hold on for the 77-71 victory, clinching their first round bye.
Leading the charge for the Cardinals was junior Tee Harris Jr., who finished with a season-high 21 points in the effort. After scoring just eight points in the first half, the junior would go off down the stretch, putting up 13 points down the stretch and helping the Cardinals secure the win. He was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter from the floor, making 10 of his 15 shots for a 66.7% field goal percentage, with one of those coming from beyond the arc. While he was scoring, he also made his presence known on the defensive side of the ball, finishing with a team-best two blocks while adding seven rebounds and one steal in the effort. Harris has been a workhorse on both sides of the ball for the Cardinals and looks to continue that success as the team heads down the postseason stretch.
When the Cardinals needed a spark off the bench, they turned to Jerry Saunders Jr., who set his season-high with 16 points in the win. He added a 5-7 mark from the floor, and hit five of the six free throws that he took on the day. He would come in during the middle of the first half, and hit a 5-0 run that created some separation for the Cardinals to hold the 35-32 halftime lead. Ayden Goll would continue his streak of double-digit games, hitting the mark for the eighth straight game. He would finish with 14 points in the effort, hitting one three and adding three free throws to round out his scoring. Goll has been the scoring leader for the Cardinals all season, averaging 17.9 points per game across 24 games this season.
As they head down the final week and a half stretch, it is a battle for seeding over the final three games of the season. After Wednesday night's win, the Cardinals are now sitting in a two-way tie for third, holding an identical 11-6 record to the University of Charleston. Saturday will be a big match-up in terms of seeding, with Wheeling holding a one-game lead over Glenville State for the tie for the #3 seed. Wheeling will face Glenville State, Point Park, and West Liberty down the final three-game stretch, while the Golden Eagles battle Davis & Elkins, Glenville state, and West Virginia State over their final three games. The Cardinals will be taking things one game at a time as they look to win out and have a shot at the #3 seed.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Pioneers are meeting for the 46th time in program history and the second time during the 2025-2026 season. Wheeling is leading the all-time series at 24-21, and has played much better at home, going 14-5 across 19 previous meetings. However, the Pioneers have been ruling the recent series, winning six of the last eight meetings between the two teams. Wheeling has averaged 82.49 points per game in the all-time series and has scored 80+ points in two of the last three meetings between the two teams.
The first meeting of the season came back on January 17th in a game that Wheeling would win on the road 86-80 over the Pioneers. Leading the way on that day was Caleb Murray, who finished with 20 points, including a 6-13 mark from three-point range. Tee Harris Jr. (15), Jerry Saunders Jr. (14), and Alex Smith (13) each hit double digits on the day, while Curtis Harrison IV led the defensive effort with eight rebounds while scoring nine points.
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.
