Wheeling, W. Va. - After a big win on Wednesday, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (13-7, 8-5) got one step closer to officially punching their ticket to the 2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Men's Basketball Tournament. On Saturday, they will have a chance to make it official when they head to Elkins, West Virginia to battle Davis & Elkins at 4 PM. A win for the Cardinals clinches their spot in the tournament, allowing them to focus on the battle for seeding the rest of the way.
Last time out, the Cardinal offense continued to be the catalyst for the team's success, going over the 100-point mark for the fourth time in the last eight games. It was a hot start that got the Cardinals going, as they went on a 12-2 run to start things off, and they would never relinquish their lead the rest of the night. West Virginia Wesleyan would make it interesting, getting to within two points of the Cardinals with 5:38 to go before the break, but Wheeling went into halftime with a 45-34 advantage. The Cardinals would add a game-high 58 points after the break, and went on to win by the final score of 103-72. In total, 12 players scored at least two points in the winning effort, while 16 players saw at least two minutes on the court. The Cardinals were efficient with the ball, hitting 49.4% of their shots including 15 three-pointers, as they secured their eighth conference win of the season.
Leading the charge for the third game in a row was senior Caleb Murray, who tied his career-high with 30 points in the winning effort. He was one of the Cardinal's most efficient shooters, going 11-19 (57.9%) from the floor, and got the three-ball going again, tying his career high with six. His game has continually evolved throughout the year, with the senior driving into the paint more and taking the shots when they come. His efficiency has led to his most recent success, with Murray shooting 50% (36-72) over his last four games, while averaging 20.75 points per game during this eight-game swing. The recent string of success has upped his scoring average by almost three points per game, and has him just outside the top ten in the MEC in scoring, sitting 11th with 15.4 PPG. As they continue down the stretch towards the 2026 MEC Tournament, Murray will be a big piece of the Cardinal's offensive puzzle on the floor.
Two more Cardinals would hit double figures on the day, headlined by the third double-double of the season from Tee Harris Jr. The junior finished with 17 points, while leading the defense with 11 rebounds, a mark that he has hit twice this season. Harris would help the Cardinals win the rebounding game with four offensive rebounds and seven defensive rebounds, while also shooting 57.1% (8-14) from the floor. Ayden Goll would finish one point behind him with 16 points, while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Goll has been the team's leading scorer this year, averaging 17.7 PPG, but lately has taken a pass first approach. The redshirt freshman has collected four or more assists in three of his last five contests, and tied his career high with seven in the win.
With the win on Wednesday, the Cardinals pushed their way into the third spot in the MEC Men's Basketball standings, holding a one-game advantage over Concord. The win over the Bobcats pushed their magic number to just one, meaning a win over Davis & Elkins or a West Virginia Wesleyan loss to West Liberty University will earn the Cardinals their spot at WesBanco Arena. With that in mind, the Cardinals look to take care of business on the road Saturday as the schedule does not get much easier down the stretch. Wheeling will see three of the top five teams in the conference over their next five games, including Fairmont State on Wednesday night, who holds a three-game lead over the Cardinals for the conference's #2 seed. The Cardinals continue to gameplan one game at a time as they head down the tournament stretch run.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 36th time in program history, and the second time during the 2025-2026 season. The Cardinals hold the advantage in the All-Time series, going 25-10 through 35 games, but on the road it is dead even at six wins a piece. Elkins, West Virginia has been a tough place to play for the Cardinals as of late, with the team going 1-2 in their last three road games against the Senators.
The first match-up of the season came back on December 17th in a game that the Cardinals would win 92-84. Ayden Goll led the way for the Cardinals, putting up 30 points and going 8-15 (53.3%) from the floor and 11-11 from the charity stripe in the win. Caleb Murray would finish right behind him with 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Kris English added 12 points to round out the day.
The Details
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside the MCDonnell Center on the campus of Davis & Elkins University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
