WHEELING, W.Va.—The Wheeling Jesuit men’s basketball team used every second of Saturday’s 40-minute contest against the University of Pitt-Johnstown for an 81-80 victory on Senior Day. The Cardinals trailed 40-36 at the break and used the final 20-minutes of the game to improve to 15-8 overall and 12-7 in WVIAC play while the Mountain Cats slipped to 14-10 overall and 10-10 in the league.
Five Cardinals tallied double-digit points as senior Joe Prati led the way. Prati tossed in a team-high 23 points on a 7-for-15 shooting performance from the floor which included a 5-for-10 showing from beyond the 3-point arc. He pulled down six rebounds with a pair of assists and blocked shots while adding a steal. Ben Siefert kept the offense in motion with a double-double, pouring in 14 points coupled with 12 assist. The senior point guard secured a team-high seven rebounds and added a block and a steal. Justin Fritts followed with 14 points while Recardo Gaddy and Andre Harris chipped in 12 and 10, respectively.
The back-and-forth battle came down the final seconds as the game featured 17 lead changes and six tied scores. The two teams traded buckets until the 13-minute mark when UPJ connected with back-to-back field goals for a 22-16 advantage. The Mountain Cat offense continued to attack and built a 32-20 advantage with 7:24 left in the half. The lead remained double-digits until Gaddy (WJU) cut into the deficit with a trifecta from deep with 2:47 showing on the clock. Darin Harris followed with a layup and another long range bomb from Gaddy made it a six point game, 40-34. Ben Siefert ended the first half with a layup, and the Cardinals trailed by four points at the break.
In the second half, UPJ found the bottom of the net first, but a jumper by Fritts and a foul shot by Tim Goff started a 12-4 Cardinal run. Fritts followed with a 3-pointer and UPJ answered with a dunk. The Cardinals didn’t get rattled as back-to-back shots from behind the 3-point arc by Goff and Gaddy tied the game at 48 apiece. On the ensuing possession, Fritts intercepted pass and found Ben Siefert in transition for two points and a 50-48 Cardinal lead, and the two teams traded blows for the remainder of the game.
After several lead changes, the game saw its fifth stalemate, 72-72, with 5:08 left to play. UPJ followed with two lay-ins, but a pair of free throws by Ben Siefert kept the Cardinals within two points, 76-74. Prati followed with a pair of shots form the charity stripe, and the game was knotted for the final time at 76-76.
With the score tied and 2:25 seconds remaining in the game, Prati grabbed a defensive rebound, and on the opposite end of the floor, gave the Cardinals a 3-point advantage on a strike from deep. UPJ’s Nick Novak answered with a floater in the middle of the key, and Jesuit led 79-78 with 1:49 remaining. After Gaddy appeared to be fouled on his way to the rim, UPJ attempt to steal the lead rattled in-and-out of the cylinder. Gaddy grabbed the defensive board and found Fritts streaking down the left side of the floor. Fritts buried the lay-in, giving the Cardinals a 81-78 advantage. The Cardina defense denied the Mountain Cats a good look at a 3-point shot, and UPJ had to settle for a rebound and put-back as the Wheeling Jesuit pulled out the one point victory.
Jordan Miller led the the Mountan Cats’ offense with 20 points, and Nick Novak followed with 19 points. Andrew Cressler added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Before the game, the Cardinals recognized two cheerleaders, Maria Meyer and Timorie Underwood, and four senior basketball players, Ben Siefert, Recardo Gaddy, Philip Green and Joe Prati as the 2013 graduating basketball class.
The Cardinals will be back in action on Monday, February 18 on the road against Ohio Valley University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
