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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Batchelor added two rebounds and an assist to his point total, and
Anthony Crosby and
Stephen Ovia each had 12 points and seven rebounds.
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For Wheeling, Sean Ealy had 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. William Gabbert added nine points and four rebounds.
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The Bobcats return to action Saturday, Feb. 8 for a road trip to West Liberty University. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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