WHEELING, W.Va. — On Saturday afternoon, University of Charleston Men's Basketball (6-2, 5-1 MEC) picked up their first conference loss of the season, as they fell to Wheeling University (4-5, 2-3 MEC) 81-80 on the road. 

Despite the loss, Dwaine Jones led the Golden Eagles offense as he scored 16 points, while shooting 6-8 from the floor and 4-4 from the line with two assists and three rebounds. Obinna Ugwuakazi also had a tremendous game, as he scored 15 points for Charleston in 27 minutes played, shooting a perfect 6-6 from the floor and 50 percent (3-6) from the line with a total of nine rebounds.

The Basics:
Location: Wheeling, W.Va.
Score: 81-80, Wheeling University

How it Happened:
DeAirius Barker put the Golden Eagles on the board first with a three-pointer assisted by Jones, but Wheeling followed up UC's scoring with a basket of their own. This set the tone for the rest of the half, as the lead continued to trade hands to the very end. Wheeling narrowly led the Golden Eagles with a score of 36-34 going into the second half. The first half featured baskets from Barker, Ugwuakazi, Jones, Keaton Turner, Eddie Colbert III, Freddie Word and Tyler Eberhart.

Much like the first half, the second half was also a tug-of-war battle, as the lead changed multiple times. The Golden Eagles pulled ahead 54-49 on another Barker three-pointer, but the Cardinals managed to catchup to even the score at 56. The lead continued to swap back-and-forth until two successful free throws by Jones put Charleston ahead 80-79. However, with just two seconds to spare, a tip in by Wheeling gave them the 81-80 lead to secure them the win over the Golden Eagles. 

Up Next:
The Golden Eagles look to bounce back on Thursday, December 14, as they will host Bloomsburg University (2-5, 0-2 PSAC) in the Wehrle Innovation Center at 6pm.