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WHEELING – For the second consecutive season, country roads will take the Wheeling men’s basketball team to Morgantown.
WVU released its non-conference schedule on Thursday, including an exhibition game on October 28 in Morgantown against the Cardinals. Last season, the Mountaineers defeated Wheeling 80-54 in an exhibition that marked the beginning of successful seasons for both programs.
The Mountaineers would go on to finish 21-14 and capture the College Basketball Crown tournament championship at season’s end, while Wheeling would finish third in the Mountain East en route to a 19-9 final record.
“We are so grateful to (WVU head coach) Ross Hodge, (WVU Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics) Wren Baker, and everyone who helped make this happen,” said Cardinals head coach Chris Richardson. “This is an incredible experience for our players and program that none of us will ever forget. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to compete.”
While it’s the second consecutive meeting between the programs, the shared history goes back much further than last season. The Cardinals also traveled to Morgantown in 2017 for an exhibition. And fittingly, as this year marks the 70th season of Cards athletics, the very first intercollegiate competition for then-Wheeling College was a men’s basketball game against the WVU freshman team in December of 1956. Those Mountaineers were led by future basketball legend Jerry West.
“The history of our program can literally be traced back to playing that game in Morgantown,” said Richardson. “That’s not lost on us as the modern caretakers and stewards of the program. We are proud to be a small part of something much bigger than any of us.”