Crawfordsville graduate Jesse Hall had eight points and six rebounds in the Little Giants 87-85 loss to Oberlin on Saturday. Photo Courtesy of Wabash College Athletics
Saturday afternoon Wabash was back home on Chadwick Court in another North Coast Athletic Conference contest versus the Oberlin Yeomen. The game couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the Little Giants on both sides as they got out to a 36-19 with 8:03 left in the first half. Then things turned in the wrong direction the last eight minutes for Wabash as Oberlin outscored them 22-7 to trail by just two at 43-41 at the half. The second half proved to be a back and forth contest and when the clock hit double zeroes, it was Oberlin on top by a final score of 87-85 as they ended the Little Giants’ three-game win streak.
Wabash extended their lead back to ten but were never able on defense to put the Yeomen away. They responded with a 9-0 run of their own and finally took their first lead of the game at the 10:16 mark. Five different Yeomen scored in double figures and Wabash coach Kyle Brumett pointed to the defensive side of the ball as the primary reason for the loss.
“You know that they are going to make a run at some point,” he said. “But still I don’t think we weathered it very well. We go from up 17 to just up by two at the half. We had some opportunities that just simply slipped by. I’m dissappointed and I know our guys are as well. We know that we have some defensive issues that we have to clean up.”
Kellen Schreiber led all scorers in the game with 22 points and go a perfect 11-11 from the field. Tyler Watson added 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and Jack Davidson recorded a double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds. Crawfordsville graduate Jesse Hall off the bench had eight points and six rebounds.
The great equalizer in the game for Oberlin was their ability to shoot the three-ball as they went 13-26 from behind the arc. Aidan Oliver and Wolf Moser both had 17 points for the Yeomen. Dimitrije Radusinovic had 15 points while Dorde Otasevic and Darien Knowles each had 13.
“Even though we’ve given up some high scoring games this year, in each of those games we were taking the other teams ability to shoot the three at a high percentage away,” Brumett said. “Everywhere you turned today we were leaving guys open. They (Oberlin) had struggled coming into the game and when you start to see your shot go in and that’s when you start believing, and that’s what happened today.” With the loss Wabash drops to 4-3 (1-1 NCAC) on the season. Every single one of the Little Giants games this year have been decided by eight points or less and their three losses have been by a combined 11 points. Brumett purposly loaded up the schedule with tough competition for his team and that has played out on the court so far through seven games.
“In reality as a coach, you want to play in as many close games as you can,” he said. “I’d love to have some blowout wins but you also want to play very good teams on your schedule because that reflects what a good team you have. We amped up the scheudle because we expected to be good. I have five seniors and two juniors who need to play better. Offensively we’re fine but they have to own it on the defensive side as well. It begins and ends with them. I would’ve liked to think playing in as many close games as we have would allow us to play better but it’s on all of us right now though as a team and we’ll hopefully get it figured out.”
Wabash after playing two striaght home games will hit the road for yet another NCAC contest as they take on Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday before welcoming NCAC Pre-Season favorite Wittenberg to Chadwick Court on Saturday.