Box Score The Little Giant basketball team held on for a 75-72 home victory against Denison Saturday. The Big Red erased a ten-point half-time deficit before Wabash made plays down the stretch to secure the win.

View highlights from the game here.

"We go into every game knowing it's going to be a hard-fought battle," Coach Antoine Carpenter said. "We just have to keep our intensity and play Wabash basketball."

This North Coast Athletic Conference battle was inches away from being tied with one second remaining. Denison started its final possession in need of a three-point shot to tie the game. Wabash defenders crowded the three-point line but Denison guard Robby Weingart found a clean shot after a pump fake. He rose up and knocked down the game-tying jumper, except his toe was on the three-point line. Video replay was inconclusive and unable to overturn the call.

"I thought he hit a three then Coach McClung told me the referee didn't signal three so it was a two," Carpenter said. "I tried to call a timeout because I thought it was tied, but they were able to look at the replay and lucky for us it was a two-point shot. It was a good shot but I'm just glad he had his foot on the line."

The start of the game did not suggest there would be any drama in the final minute. Wabash jumped out to an early 20-7 lead and entered the locker room in front, 38-28. The 38 half-time points outscored the team's game total in Monday's defeat to Rose-Hulman.

"We knew there would be peaks and valleys with this team," Carpenter said. "We just wanted to bring more intensity and effort to the game today. Adversity brought us together and we brought more passion and excitement."

The most adverse situation occurred half way through the second half. The Big Red connected on a three and while the shot was in the air, Wabash committed a foul. Denison sunk both of the ensuing free throws for the five-point possession. The adversity continued immediately when Wabash committed a defensive foul on the opposite end of the court. Denison knocked down two more free throws and Wabash's 11-point lead suddenly vanquished to four.

"It was a momentum shift but we had to keep our composure," Carpenter said. "It's good for the team to experience those types of moments. We keep on playing no matter what."

Junior Andy Walsh answered with a jumper and a back-and-forth struggle then followed all the way to the waning seconds. Each team made shots to keep the other close, but it was freshman Ross Sponsler who stepped up in the clutch. He calmly hit two free throws to extend the Wabash lead to 73-70 with 17 seconds remaining.

"I just stepped up with confidence and acted like it was practice," he said. "Knock them down in practice, knock them down in games."

Sponsler has been hampered by a knee injury early in the season and missed the last three games. However, he showed no ill effects in the second half; he scored 13 of his 15 points after halftime.

"There was a lot of adrenaline today; it hurts right now," Sponsler confessed after the game. "We lost our last three and the team need a win today so I just tried to step up."

Sponsler wasn't the only freshman to step up. Crawfordsville native Austin Burton made his first start of the season and scored 8 points and starting forward Daniel Purvlicis scored 8 and grabbed 5 rebounds.

"We try to play up tempo on offense and get after people and force turnovers on defense so it's important we have good depth," Carpenter said.

Kasey Oetting scored 15 points on 6 of 14 shooting. Walsh and Jordan Surenkamp added 12 and 8 points off the bench, respectively.

Denison (3-3, 1-1 NCAC) was led by forward Dimonde Hale, who had a quiet 29 points inside. Weingart and Bret Woolard each scored 10.

"Coach preached the importance of conference games all week," Sponsler said. "We came out here and had a lot of energy and got the win. It was definitely a fun game to be a part of."

Wabash avenged two home losses at the hands of the Big Red last season. Denison won 72-62 in the 2011-2012 regular season meeting between the two schools at Chadwick Court, then returned in the first round of the NCAC tournament to eliminate the Little Giants in a 74-60 contest.

The Little Giants (2-3, 1-0 NCAC) will take the court again Tuesday at Trine University. Tip off will be at 7:30 p.m.