Wheeling, W. Va. - The 2025-2026 season is coming down to its final month, and the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (12-7, 7-5) starts the run on their home court. They are playing back-to-back home games for the second time this season when they welcome in West Virginia Wesleyan Wednesday, with tip-off at 7:30 PM. With the Mountain East Conference (MEC) tournament race coming down to its final four weeks, a win would give the Cardinals a chance to officially claim their tournament spot in their weekend road match-up with Davis & Elkins.
Last time out, the Cardinals played their first weekend home game of 2026 when they hosted West Virginia State on Saturday. It was a game that was dictated by offensive success, with the teams combining for 198 points, and it was a hot start that fueled the Cardinals. They shot an efficient 56.4% (22-39) from the floor over the first 20 minutes, including a 55.6% (10-18) mark from beyond the arc. It sent them into the halftime break leading 54-35, but the Yellow Jackets were not ready to go down without a fight. They ended the first half on a 7-0 run, and carried that momentum right into the new half scoring the first bucket out of the break. West Virginia State would end up outscoring the Cardinals 57-52 over the final 20 minutes, but the game had already been called by the Wheeling shooters in the first half as they went on to win 106-92.
The man who continues to lead the Cardinals in their string of recent offensive success is senior Caleb Murray. Murray put up 23 points on the night, going over the 20-point mark for the fourth time in seven games, and shot 10-22 (45.4%) from the floor. The senior has been on fire as of late, seeing his scoring average jump up nearly 2.0 points per game over a seven-game stretch that has seen him averaging 19.4 per game. His string of success has coincided with the team's recent offensive uptick, with the team averaging 93.1 PPG during that same seven game swing. Murray has been the Cardinal's top three-point shooter throughout the year, shooting 35.4% from beyond the arc, and has increased his efficiency from the floor, shooting 41.2%.
The other Cardinal to reach the 23-point mark was redshirt freshman Ayden Goll, who was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter at 50% (8-16) from the floor. After being held scoreless through the first 15 minutes of play, Goll went off during the last five minutes of the first half, scoring 13 of his 23 points. It was during a run that saw the Cardinals outscore the Yellow Jackets 16-12 and was what eventually helped the Cardinals hold off the late West Virginia State push. The Cardinals were able to go deep on their bench throughout the night, with nine different Cardinals scoring at least one point. DJ Wingfield took advantage of the opportunity, and picked up his second double-digit effort of the season. He tied his career high with 11 points, and had an efficient day from beyond the arc, hitting 50% (3-6) of his shots. He has been a strong role player for the Cardinals this season and looks to continue to be a key piece off the bench.
With the win on Saturday, the Cardinals have put themselves back in the top four of the conference, sitting tied for fourth entering play on Wednesday night. They sit just a half game back from Charleston for third place and sit tied with Concord for that fourth place spot. The Cardinals also enter Wednesday with their magic number to clinch a playoff spot sitting at three. A win over West Virginia Wesleyan would drop that number to one, giving the team a chance to officially clinch their spot against Davis & Elkins over the weekend. It was a close battle between Wheeling and West Virginia Wesleyan on the road earlier this season, and the Cardinals will look for the season series sweep on Wednesday night.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 50th time in program history on Wednesday night, and the second time during the 2025-2026 season. Wheeling has the advantage in the all-time series, sitting at 35-14, while holding a 13-6 record on their home court. Wheeling is riding a six-game winning streak at the hands of the Bobcats, winning nine of the last 10 match-ups, and they are looking to keep that success going into Wednesday night's match-up.
The first meeting between the two teams this season came back on January 3rd, when the Cardinals picked up a 78-72 win in Buckhannon. It was a big effort for Tee Harris Jr., who led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds in the winning effort. Four Cardinals hit double figures in the game, with Alex Smith (14), Ayden Goll (13), and Curtis Harrison IV (13) all reaching the mark in the winning effort.
The Details
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 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.
