North Panhandle Times

Men’s Basketball Looks to Build Off Momentum as They Begin Home Stretch

On Saturday, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (3-13, 1-9) got their long awaited first win in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. They look to keep that momentum going on Wednesday as they open up a three-game home stretch when they host Notre Dame College at 7:30 PM. With the MEC Tournament field still very much wide open, the Cardinals look to put together some wins down the stretch as they try to get back to WesBanco Arena.

In their last game, the Cardinals were able to pull out the victory 83-78. The Cardinals took an early lead 7-2 and that was enough to keep them the lead throughout the first half. They led 44-37 at halftime as they put up 40 or more points for the second straight quarter. As the second half began, the Cardinals held their lead and were up 57-49 with 13:00 to play. Frostburg State was still alive and began to battle back throughout the next seven minutes and the Cardinals held just a five-point advantage with 6:42 to play. However, a 7-0 Cardinal run was enough to create the separation needed for the Cardinals to pull off the victory. Wheeling was outscored 41-39 in the quarter but went on to win the game 83-78 to get their elusive first MEC win of the season.

Leading the way once again for the Cardinals was senior John Korte, who has been on a tear over his last two contests. He finished Saturday's game with 27 points and 15 rebounds as he picked up his second double double of the 2022-23 season. He has scored 57 points over his last 80 minutes of play, and picked up 21 rebounds over that same timespan. Also during that time, Korte has raised his scoring average to 18.6 points per game as he moves to third in the MEC in scoring. He sits behind West Liberty's Bryce Butler and Notre Dame College's Jadeon Williams for the conferences top spot. It has been a career week for the senior so far and he looks to continue that success into this home stretch.

The Cardinals also got a big day from sophomore Marcus Johnson, who accounted for 22 total points on the night. He scored seven of the first nine points of the game for the Cardinals, and accounted for 18 of his 22 points in the game's first half. Johnson has been a rock for the Cardinals all season long, hitting some big shots under the net as well as going out wide for three when needed. Speaking of threes, George Taylor III has been a three machine for the Cardinals coming off the bench. Taylor has made each of his last six three-point attempts and has not missed a three-pointer since the Cardinals took on Glenville State back on January 4th. The Cardinals have been looking for a spark off the bench all season, and Taylor is playing his way into a larger and larger role with the team down the stretch.

With the win, not only did the Cardinals get that elusive first win, but they also jumped into a tie for the #10 seed in the conference with West Virginia Wesleyan and Frostburg State. They sit just two games back of Alderson Broaddus and Davis & Elkins for moving up to as high as the #8 seed in the tournament. Wheeling has played a ton of close games this season and are looking to use that experience to help them as they climb the standings. Head Coach Chris Richardson preaches playing your best basketball in January and February and the Cardinals are moving towards that. As this young team continues to improve on the court, they look to string together some wins as they get a chance to play in front of their home fans.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 21st time in program history and the second time during the 2022-23 season. The first 20 meetings of the all-time series have been dead even with both teams winning 10 games. However, the Cardinals have been much better against Notre Dame College at home, going 6-3 across nine all-time meetings. The Cardinals have dropped three of their last four home games against the Falcons and look to turn the tide tomorrow night.

In their first meeting of the season, it was Notre Dame College that came out victorious in South Euclid, Ohio 91-71. The Cardinals had three players in double figures that game, with Marcus Johnson leading the way with 16 points. S.J. Hutchinson and John Korte followed him up with 14 points a piece as the Cardinals passed the ball around, finishing with 11 team assists.
The Details

Tip-off for Saturday 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. 

Original source can be found here