WHEELING, W.Va.— It took two overtime periods to decide the winner in the final regular season home game at the Alma Grace McDonough Center as the Wheeling Jesuit men’s basketball team claimed an 86-80 victory over the University of Charleston. With the win, the Cardinals extended their winning streak to eight consecutive games while improving to 17-8 overall and 14-7 in WVIAC play. The Golden Eagles fell to 17-8 overall and 13-8 in the league.
Thursday evening’s showdown between WJU and UC kept fans on the edge of their seats as the two teams battled toe-to-toe for 50 minutes. The game featured 13 lead changes and nine tied scores while seven points was the largest separation on the scoreboard, and it happened twice. In the second half, UC held a 44-37 lead, and in the final overtime period, the Cardinals established a seven point advantage, 84-77.
Justin Fritts led the Cardinals with a double-double performance. The freshman from Mentor, Ohio poured in 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor which included a 3-for-6 effort from beyond the 3-point arc and added a team-high 10 steals. Recardo Gaddy followed with 19 points and six rebounds, and Ben Siefert collected 18 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Eric Siefert tallied 14 points, six rebounds and four steals while Darin Harris chipped in six points with a pair of old-fashioned 3-point plays. Joe Prati and Tim Goff rounded out the scoring with two points each, and Prati added a team-best 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
The seesaw battle began in the first half as the Cardinals answered UC’s initial field goal with a 3-point shot from Fritts. The scoreboard flip-flopped eight times in the opening frame with four tied scores as UC established a four-point, 27-23 advantage with 2:42 remaining in the half. The Golden Eagles looked to extend the lead to six points, but WJU’s Eric Siefert interrupted UC’s offensive flow with a steal. Siefert pushed the ball down the court to Fritts, who finished with a lay-in. On the ensuing possession, Fritts added a pair of free throws to tie the game 27-27, however, the Golden Eagles used the final possession of the half to establish a 29-27 advantage.
After the break, the Cardinals opened with a 5-0 run which started with a 3-point bucket by Gaddy. After picking up a loose ball, Ben Siefert followed with a layup to give Jesuit a 32-29 lead, but UC retaliated with a 6-0 run for a 35-32 advantage. Gaddy ended the Golden Eagles scoring outburst with a long range jumper from behind the 3-point stripe, tying the game at 35 apiece. The Golden Eagles followed with 9-2 run for their largest lead of the game at 44-37. The deficit didn’t last long as the Cardinal used the next four possessions to tie the game. Fritts initiated the comeback with an old-fashioned 3-point play, and after a Gaddy steal at midcourt Eric Siefert finished with a lay-in, forcing the Golden Eagles to spend a timeout. When play resumed, Fritts stole a pass at half court and proceeded down the court with a layup to tie the game, 44-44. UC ended the Cardinal run with a 3-pointer, but Ben Siefert found a way to get to the charity stripe and connected with both free throws to make it a one point game, 47-46.
Wheeling Jesuit took advantage of a technical foul assessed to the visiting team’s bench as Prati split a pair of free throws and Fritts added a 3-point play with a lay-in and foul shot to give the Cardinals a 50-47 lead with 9:37 remaining in regulation. Jesuit increased the lead to as many as five points, 64-59, but pair free throws and a UC lay-in made it a one point game, 64-63, with 1:26 showing on the clock. On the ensuing possession, Ben Siefert found his way into the lane and finished with a layup to give the Cardinals a 66-63 advantage, but at the opposite end of the floor, Xavier Humphrey connected from deep to tie the game at 66 apiece. Jesuit’s final attempt to take the lead in regulation rattled in-and-out.
UC started the scoring in overtime as Terrell Lipkins buried a 3-pointer. The Cardinals responded with a pair of free throws from Eric Siefert and claimed a 70-69 advantage after a Ben Siefert layup. Jesuit pushed the lead to four points, 73-69, as Gaddy was fouled on a lay-in and buried the free throw. The Golden Eagles followed with a field goal to cut the Cardinal lead in half. With 28 seconds remaining in the extra period, Eric Siefert split a pair of free throws to give the Cardinals a 74-71 advantage; however, the Golden Eagles found the bottom of the net from long distance to force a second overtime period, 74-74.
The Cardinals opened the final overtime period with a 6-0 run as Ben Siefert recorded Jesuit’s initial field goal followed by a Prati free throw and Gaddy 3-pointer. The Golden Eagles responded with a lay-in, but Jesuit fired back with a Fritts field goal for an 82-76 lead with one minute remaining. UC added a free throw, and on the ensuing possession, WJU established their largest lead of the evening as Eric Siefert connected with a pair of free throws, 84-77. Sixteen seconds later after a UC 3-pointer, Eric Siefert was sent to the charity stripe again. He buried both shots to secure the Cardinals 86-80 victory.
The Golden Eagles’ offense was led by Evan Faulkner with 22 points. Robbie Dreher followed with 20 points while Lipkins and Humphrey added 15 and 12, respectively.
The Cardinals will travel to West Liberty University for the regular season finale on Saturday, February 23. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
