Wheeling, W. Va. - The 2025-2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Men's Basketball season is coming down to its final day, and the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (18-8, 13-6) is looking to end things with a bang. They host the annual "The Battle for Wheeling" against the rival West Liberty Hilltoppers, with tip-off at 4 PM. Wheeling will be battling for a top three spot in the conference, with a win securing them the #3 seed in next week's MEC Men's Basketball Tournament at WesBanco Arena.
Last time out, the Cardinals wrapped up the home portion of their schedule, traveling to CCAC Allegheny to take on Point Park. It was an electric start for the Cardinals that saw them get out to a 22-7 lead over the first seven minutes of play, and that momentum carried the, the rest of the way. Wheeling would put up 44 points over the first 20 minutes of play and shot 56.7% (17-30) from the floor to head into the locker room with a 44-25 advantage. That early start would turn out to be crucial for the Cardinals, as Point Park came out of the break putting 58 points on the board. They would get as close as 88-81 with 33 seconds to play, but free throws would round out the Cardinal victory. Wheeling continued their efficient shooting into the second half, making 57.1% (16-28) of their shots to set them up for a chance at a top three spot in the conference this weekend.
Leading the Cardinal effort was junior Tee Harris Jr., who finished with a career-best 26 points on his way to picking up his fifth double-double of the season. Of Wheeling's 44 points in the paint, 16 of those came courtesy of Harris, who finished the day 11-19 (57.9%) from the floor and 3-7 (42.9%) from three-point range. He would complete the double-double effort with 12 rebounds, tying his season high in the effort. His biggest contribution would come on the defensive glass, where he pulled down eight rebounds compared to four on the offensive end. Harris has made his presence felt all over the court for the Cardinals, raising his average to 13.7 PPG on the season and his rebounding average to 6.4 per game. Harris sits second in the conference with 47 blocks this season, while sitting eighth in rebounding, and he looks to continue to be a key contributor on both sides of the ball in the tournament.
Wednesday also saw another strong game off the bench from Jerry Saunders Jr., who finished with 16 points in the effort. It was the second time in the last three games that Saunders has gotten to the 16-point mark, averaging 11.33 points per game during that stretch. Saunders biggest success against Point Park came from the free throw line, where he finished 9-10, and added a 3-6 mark from the floor with one three-pointer. The cog that has made the Cardinals offense go this season is Ayden Goll, who finished with 12 points while moving the ball around for a team-high seven assists. Goll currently sits as the third leading scorer in the conference this season, while sitting tied for second with 121 assists. Goll has scored in double digits in each of his last 10 games, averaging 19.1 points per game during that span.
Not only does Saturday mark the second meeting of "The Battle for Wheeling" during the 2025-2026 season, but there is a lot on the line in terms of seeding for the Cardinals. Wheeling currently sits in a tie for third in the conference with Charleston, with both teams sitting at 13-6 in conference play. The two teams split their season series, but a win on Saturday would give the Cardinals the tiebreaker via wins against common opponents. Wheeling can not finish any lower than the #4 seed in the conference tournament and will be securing their highest seeding in the tournament since the 2017-18 season when they were the #2 seed in the tournament. The game will also feature the annual Ohio County rivalry, with fans being encouraged to come out and cheer on both teams. The first 100 students in attendance will receive a rally towel, courtesy of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), and their will be a halftime half court shot contest.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 74th time in program history, and the second time during the 2025-2026 season. West Liberty leads the all-time series with a record of 51-22, but the Cardinals have played a lot better at home, going 12-17 in the all-time series. The Cardinals have dropped each of the last six contests at the hands of the Hilltoppers, and will be looking for their first win since March 4th, 2022, when they picked up a 114-107 victory on their home floor.
The first meeting this season came back on January 24th, in a game that West Liberty won 93-81. Ayden Goll led the way in the contest, finsihing with 21 points while shooting 6-17 from the floor. Caleb Murray added 19 points in the effort, while Tee Harris Jr. (12) and Curtis Harrison IV (12) each hit double figures to round out 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.
