The game of basketball can be a cruel game at times and that was on display Saturday at the McDonough Center when the Wheeling Cardinals disposed of the Notre Dame College Falcons 89-58 Saturday afternoon. This just three days after the Falcons had pasted Wright State Lake 132-71 in South Euclid on Wednesday. The game was the conference opener for both NDC (1-4 0-1 MEC) and Wheeling (3-0 1-0 MEC.)
Bruce Hodges put it simply after this one:
" We played soft and didn't want it. They beat us in every facet of the game."Hodges stated.
Coach Mark Richmond agreed:
" They were more physical than us. They dominated us on both ends with their toughness and effort. Credit Wheeling they had a plan and executed it."Richmond mentioned.
For the second straight game the Falcons were led in scoring by freshman Bryce Douglas, as he put up 13 points on Saturday in 28 minutes as Hodges would saddled with foul trouble much of the game before fouling out. Douglas was one of four NDC players to score in double figures on the day. Larenz Thurman netted 12- while Jordan Burton and Dae John Walker-Bey each tallied 11. Walker-Bey also gathered a team leading 12 rebounds in the contest. NDC shot 40 percent from the field in the loss- just 27 percent (3-11) from the 3-point line. They shot at a 73 percent clip (11-14) from the free throw line.
Wheeling had five players score in double figures Saturday. Jordan Reid paced the Cardinals with 16 points- Emmanuel Ansong and Jarrett Haines each netted 15- while Nathan Meriwether and Jeremiah April each chipped in 12. The Cardinals shot 52 percent from the floor- 44 percent (10-23) from the 3-point line- and- 87 percent (13-15) from the free throw line.
Wheeling would get off to a quick start in this one, as they would score the games first six points. They would never trail in the contest. Thurman would get the Falcons on the board and at the first media time out after a Burton jumper the Falcons would trail 9-4. After a Wheeling bucket- NDC would get to within five again (11-6)after a Marek Hulva lay up. The Cardinals would then go on a 11-2 run capped by an Ansong dunk to make it 22-8 with 11:02 in the opening stanza. Burton would keep NDC within an arms length with a jumper that cut the deficit to 22-12 at the 10:10 mark of the opening half. The Cardinals would double that lead (34-14) after a Haines layup with 6:37 to go in the opening stanza. It would be 48-24 Wheeling at halftime after Walker-Bey made a pair of free throws for the Falcons.
The second half was much like the first, as the Falcons would look to mount a come back to no avail. They would get to within 20 (51-31) after a Levi Frankland 3-pointer. Frankland who came into Saturday's game as the Falcons leading scorer was held to just nine points on the day. Wheeling would then put the game away with a 12-0 run, as they would have there second wire to wire win of the season.
Wheeling won the rebounding battle 35-31 in this one. The Cardinals would have 15 assists- and- turn the ball over just nine times. On the other side the Falcons had just seven assists- and- turned it over 15 times.
Drew Scarberry missed his second straight with an injury and put this one in perspective:
" We just have to learn from this- take a step back- and- take a look in the mirror as a team and as individuals. Learn what we can and move onto the next battle."Scarberry stated.
NDC will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to West Liberty to take on the Hilltoppers. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM
Other MEC Scores:
West Liberty 101 Urbana 76
Glenville State 127 West Virginia State 115
Concord 86 Charleston 78
West Virginia Wesleyan 85 Frostburg State 73
Davis and Elkins 81 Fairmont State 78
MEC Standings:
Glenville State 1-0 (4-0)
Wheeling 1-0 (3-0)
West Liberty 1-0 (4-1)
Concord 1-0 (3-3)
Davis and Elkins 1-0 (3-3)
West Virginia Wesleyan 1-0 (1-5)
Charleston 0-1 (4-1)
West Virginia State 0-1 (3-1)
Fairmont State 0-1 (2-1)
Urbana 0-1 (2-3)
Frostburg State 0-1 (1-4)
NDC 0-1 (1-4)
Comments