Wheeling, WV — After opening with six road games, the Wheeling Jesuit men’s basketball team played their first game at the Alma Grace McDonough Center, soaring past the Falcons of Fairmont State University by a score of 88-77 on Saturday afternoon.
“It was good to finally play at home,” head coach Danny Sancomb remarked. “We had great energy and were able to bounce back after short rest and a tough overtime loss at WV State on Thursday.”
Ben Siefert led all scorers with 25 points on an 8-of-13 showing from the field which included a 3-for-6 effort from beyond the arc. Steve Catich followed with 16 points while Obi Ukwuoma and Joe Prati tallied 13 points apiece.
“We received great productive minutes from Joe Prati and Pete Brogdon,” said Sancomb. “Joe was great in the paint with his scoring inside and grabbing six boards.” Sancomb continued saying, “Pete was big defensively for us, and he also came up with some big rebounds and knocked down some open looks.”
Siefert set the tone from the opening tip, netting a long-range jumper and recording the game’s initial three points as the Cardinals scurried to an 11-6 lead. The visiting squad used the following three possessions to tie, and then, capture an early lead, but another Siefert field goal knotted the game at 13 apiece.
After trading several points, 22-22, the Cardinals began to distance themselves from the opponent with a six point run which was interrupted by a 3-point field goal by FSU’s Mike Hurd. Jesuit quickly responded, taking the lead to eight, 34-26, with 1:30 left to play in the half.. A pair of free throws by Isaac Thornton (FSU) ended the second scoring drive and the Cardinals entered the halftime with a 34-28 advantage.
After the break, the Cardinals and the Falcons traded buckets for the first four minutes when Marquis Moore pulled down a defensive rebound and found Siefert for two points on an easy fast break. On the ensuing possession, the duo was at it again, but this time, Moore finished with a monster dunk as Siefert found him cutting through the lane which sparked a 12-4 run.
With the momentum in Jesuit’s favor, the Cardinals began to rattle-off points, taking a 17-point advantage, 57-40, beginning with a 3-ball from the corner by Josh Valentic. Brogdon followed with an offensive rebound and put back while Siefert kept the scoring drive intact with a free throw and a second trifecta from the corner.
Fairmont’s Greg Hunt stopped the Cardinal assault with a midrange jumper, and the Falcons retaliated with six unanswered points, cutting the deficit to 11 with 9:25 to play, 59-48.
Wheeling Jesuit built the lead back to as many as 16-points before closing out with an 88-77 victory.
The Cardinals won the battle of the boards, pulling down 44 rebounds compared to Fairmont’s 32 boards. Siefert and Moore pulled down seven boards each while Ukwuoma, Prati and Recardo Gaddy all grabbed six.
“It was a total team effort; we played with a lot of energy and performed well on the glass. We need continue playing with high level of intensity,” said Sancomb.
With the win the Cardinals improved to 2-1 in WVIAC play and 5-2 overall while Fairmont fell to 1-3 in league play and 1-4 overall..
Wheeling Jesuit will be on the road Wednesday, December 7th, traveling to Athens, W.Va. for a conference bout against Concord University. Tip off is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
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