North Panhandle Times

Men’s Basketball Heads into “Battle for Wheeling” with Playoffs on the Line

Throughout the season, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team (6-21, 4-17) has had their share of highs and lows as they continue to grow on the court. It all comes down to the final game of the regular season on Saturday as the team takes on West Liberty in their final edition of "The Battle for Wheeling" in 2023 when they tip-off at 4 PM on the hilltop. A win or a Frostburg State loss to Fairmont State clinches Wheeling a playoff spot as they control their own destiny heading into this big match. 

Last time out, the Cardinals would take on Alderson Broaddus and fell to the Battlers 86-76 as they head into their final game. The two teams went back and forth through the first half of the game with both teams making several runs. By the end of the first 20 minutes, Wheeling had the slight edge over the Battlers, leading 42-40 heading into halftime. As the second half continued, Alderson Broaddus began to battle back in the game and took the lead over the Cardinals with 17:48 to go in the game. The Cardinals continued to battle throughout the second half, but they would never retake the lead as they fell to the Battlers 86-76. Despite the loss, the Cardinals remained in the hunt as Frostburg State would fall to Davis & Elkins as the two teams remained tied in the conference standings. 

It was a big offensive day for sophomore Marcus Johnson, who led the way with 32 points and a 65% shooting percentage from the floor. Johnson set his new season-high and was just one rebound shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. Johnson has been strong for the Cardinals all season long and has been especially strong down the stretch. Over the last six games, Johnson is averaging 22.9 points per game and has been a strong compliment to teammates Brent Price and John Korte in this Cardinal's offense. 

Despite the loss, the Cardinals continued to pass the ball around effectively, finishing with 12 assists on the night. Brent Price led the way with six assists while also finishing second on the team with eight rebounds. Price has been battling back from injury over the past few weeks and is getting fully healthy heading into the playoff run. Junior Trey Stoffer finished right behind him with five assists and leads the Cardinals with 74 assists this season. The Cardinals have already surpassed their assist total from the year before, with 327, and look to continue passing the ball around throughout the season. 

Heading into this final game of the year, there is a lot on the line for the Cardinals with the #10 seed in the conference on the line. If the Cardinals beat West Liberty, they will clinch the #10 seed and take on the #7 seed in the first round of the tournament. However, even if Wheeling falls on Saturday, a win by Frostburg State would also clinch the team the #10 seed. The Cardinals look to end the regular season on a high note in one of the top rivalries in Division II, and head into the tournament riding high. 

The Matchup 

"The Battle for Wheeling" will be commencing for the 65th time in program history as they wrap up the 2022-23 season series. West Liberty leads the all-time series with a record of 42-22 and the Cardinals are just 7-22 when the series heads on top of the hill. The Cardinals broke a 10-game losing streak to the Hilltoppers last time out and are looking to break a four-game losing streak inside the Academic Sport and Recreation Center. 

In their first meeting of the season, the Cardinals took down the Hilltoppers 114-107 inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. It was the biggest game of senior John Korte's career, as he put up 40 points and shot an incredible 72% from the floor. Brent Price, 24, and Marcus Johnson, 21, rounded out the 20+ point scorers as the Cardinals picked up one of their biggest wins of the season. 

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