BUCKKHANNON — The Wheeling University Cardinals used a strong first-half performance to build an early lead and held off a furious second-half comeback from West Virginia Wesleyan to secure an 80-73 road victory in Mountain East Conference play at the Rockefeller Center.
Wheeling (9-12, 4-9 MEC) dominated the first half, shooting 57.6 percent (19-of-33) from the field and taking a 43-31 lead into the break. Curtis Harrison IV was a force off the bench, pouring in 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including a key dunk that energized the Cardinals.
The Bobcats (5-16, 2-11 MEC) struggled early, shooting just 37.1 percent (13-of-35) in the first half, and managed only 3-of-15 from beyond the arc.
Wesleyan came out of halftime with new energy, ramping up defensive pressure and attacking the basket. Behind Michael Batchelor’s game-high 19 points and Alex Mirhosseini’s 18-point, 5-rebound effort, the Bobcats outscored Wheeling 42-37 in the second half.
The Bobcats shot an impressive 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field after halftime, but their three-point woes continued, hitting just 1-of-11 from deep in the second half.
Batchelor added two rebounds and an assist to his point total, and Anthony Crosby and Stephen Ovia each had 12 points and seven rebounds.
For Wheeling, Sean Ealy had 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. William Gabbert added nine points and four rebounds.
The Bobcats return to action Saturday, Feb. 8 for a road trip to West Liberty University. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m.
