Photo by Kim North Wheeling University’s Tee Harris (4) leaps high for a rebound Friday afternoon against Concord in an MEC men’s quarterfinal tournament game inside WesBanco Arena. The Cardinals lost, 96-71.

WHEELING — After earning the No. 3 seed in the Mountain East Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament with its play down the final stretch of the regular season, Wheeling University laid an egg Friday afternoon.

The Cardinals (19-9) were eliminated by sixth-seeded Concord by a 96-71 count in a quarterfinal game inside WesBanco Arena. The Mountain Lions (15-14) jumped out early lead and never looked back in advancing to Saturday’s semifinals against No. 2 Fairmont State, which held off seventh-seeded Frostburg State, 80-77, in Friday’s first quarterfinal.

“It wasn’t much of a contest. We just didn’t play very well,” said Wheeling University head coach Chris Richardson. “Probably the worst, not probably, that’s the worst we’ve played all year. Concord, to their credit, had a lot to do with that. (Boubacar) Djigo was incredible. He was dominant on both ends. He was the best player on the floor today no doubt.

“We just couldn’t get it going on either end of the floor,” Richardson, the MEC Men’s Coach of the Year, added. “When we would get stops, we couldn’t get a rebound. When we got rebounds, we’d give away possessions. When we got good looks, we didn’t make them. That’s not a very good recipe to beat a good team, which is what you’re going to see at this point in the year in every game.”

Concord shot 53.5 percent for the game (38-71) and knocked down seven of its 10 three-point goals in the first half when the Mountain Lions took control. They led 12-9 at the first media timeout before building the margin to 29-17 at the second stoppage. The lead ballooned to 51-34 at the half and got as high as 37 with 4:15 left to play.

“While today wasn’t our day, I’m extremely proud of the journey. I’m proud to have been a part of the journey,” Richardson stressed. “I’m proud of these two guys next to me (Caleb Murray and Ayden Goll) and everyone in that lockerroom. The reason it (the loss) hurts is because we have such a special group of people.”

The Cardinals entered the contest riding a five-game winning streak and had won eight of their last nine. However, the first appearance in the conference tournament semifinals since 2017-18 wasn’t meant to be.

“We played our way into the No. 3 seed and into the conversation to get to the regional, and I thought we were peaking at the right time, but I said all week that the only thing that mattered was the 40 minutes in front of us and we didn’t handle it very well today.

“It was an anti-climatic end to a season that had a lot of special moments. When we look back we’re going to be proud of what we’ve done this season, but more importantly, the way we did it,” Richardson continued.

Wheeling, which shot 40 percent (26-65) for the game from the field, was led by Ayden Goll with 19 points. Beallsville native and Linsly grad Caleb Murray added 14, as did Tee Harris.

Concord held a commanding, 48-28, advantage off the glass as 6-8 junior Boubacar Djigo, a Cleveland native, had game-bests of 24 points and 16 boards.

Djigo was joined in double digits by Savier McCall with 15, three more than Josiah Rickards. Anfernee Hanna and Brendan Hoffman evenly split 22.

Both teams charted nine turnovers.

LOOSE BALLS

– Richardson was presented his MEC Coach of the Year plaque prior to the opening tip from Commissioner Reid Amos.

– Until Friday, Wheeling had won at least one MEC Tournament game in nine of its 11 appearances.

– The Cardinals, who won the event in 2018, are now 11-12 all-time in the MEC Tournament.

– The Mountain Lions enjoyed a 48-26 scoring advantage in the paint and had 20 second-chance points to eight for the Cardinals.