Box Score Wabash trailed host Albion College by five points at halftime before outscoring the Britons 32-25 for a 53-51 victory Sunday afternoon. A tip-in rebound basket by freshman Daniel Purvlicis just before the buzzer gave the Little Giants their first win of the season.

The Little Giants improved their second-half shooting to nearly 48 percent (11-of-23) with a 5-of-9 effort from behind the three-point arc after hitting 8-of-21 tries overall and 4-of-10 three-point attempts in the opening period.

One day after Purvilicis recorded a double-double in the Little Giants' loss to Manchester, his tip-in basket gave Wabash its first victory of the season. Fellow freshman Ross Sponsler scored 11 points to lead Wabash in scoring, hitting 4-of-10 shots from the field including two three-pointers to lead the Little Giants.

With the score tied at 51-51, Pete Nicksic fired a jumper with four seconds left to play in regulation that missed. Sponsler found an opening and tipped the missed shot back into the basket with three seconds left for his final two points to give Wabash the victory.

Albion led most of the first half, taking as much as a nine-point lead before Wabash would close the advantage to five points at the break by closing out the final five minutes of the half with a 6-2 scoring run. Sponsler sparked the run with a three-point basket in the final minute.

The Britons opened the second period with a trey to move the lead back to eight points. Albion continued to hold an edge until the six-minute mark of the final half. A layup by Evan Johnson cut the lead to five points. The Little Giants forced a turnover at the defensive end of the court, then found Purvlicis for a dunk to make it a three-point contest. Another turnover by Albion would be all Wabash needed to try and even the score. Sponsler found Austin Hawn open outside the arc for a three-point basket to even the score at 46-46 with 4:23 left in the game.

Albion answered with a basket and a free throw to push the lead back to three points, but Hawn drilled another long-range shot to tie the game again. The Little Giants grabbed the rebound on a missed Britons' shot, then hit Pete Nicksic in the paint for a layup and a two-point lead — the first for Wabash since a 4-2 advantage in the first two minutes of the game. Albion tied the game with a basket, setting up the last-second heroics for Wabash.

Johnson and Hawn each finished with nine points. Nicksic added seven.

Lawrence Ridgell scored 14 points to lead Albion (1-1) in scoring. Mike Smith added 10 points.

The Little Giants (1-1) open the home portion of their season Saturday at 3 p.m. against eighth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan.