Box Score Wabash cut an 11-point deficit to four with two minutes left in the game, but could not draw any closer in a 70-63 conference loss at Denison Saturday afternoon.
The Little Giants started with a 5-0 lead over the first four minutes of the contest before Denison reeled off a 15-9 run to take its first lead of the game. The two teams traded baskets before a three-pointer by
Andy Walsh put Wabash up 22-20.
Daniel Purvlicis answered a Robby Weingart three-pointer with a layup on a post move to tie the game at 26-26 with 4:55 remaining in the opening half. The Big Red outscored Wabash 11-4 over the final minutes of the half, including a 6-0 edge in the final minute for a 37-30 halftime edge.
After Denison boosted its lead to 10 points early in the final period, the Little Giants got a boost off the bench from senior
Jordan Surenkamp. The senior guard drilled two three-point shots on the way to a 13-point game. He scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half.
Trailing by 10 points, Wabash got a spark from a drive by
Houston Hodges that ended with a
Marcus Kammrath dunk for a 51-43 score with 13:16 left in the game. Purvlicis added a basket and free throw, followed by a Surenkamp triple to cut the lead to two points with 11:36 remaining.
The Little Giants would get no closer. Darius White drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key to push the advantage to five points, starting a 15-7 run for the Big Red. Purvlicis and Surenkamp kept Wabash close before a drive by Hodges for a basket and a free throw pulled Wabash to within four. That would be the final basket for the Little Giants. Denison three out of five free throws in the final minute to pick up the win.
The two teams split the season series after Wabash claimed a 75-72 win at home against the Big Red.
The Little Giants rode a 16-point, 11-rebound effort from freshman Purvlicis — his fourth double-double of the season.
Ross Sponsler scored 14 points before fouling out of the game with six minutes left in the contest. Surenkamp's 13 points marked his highest scoring effort of the season.
Denison (7-12, 5-5 NCAC) was led in scoring by Briggs King with 17 points. Dimonde Hale added 16 points after the Little Giants held him to two made free throws for his only first-half points. Alex Longi tossed in 13 points.
The loss drops Wabash (5-14, 3-7 NCAC) into a tie for eighth place in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings with Allegheny. The Little Giants play host to arch-rival DePauw University (13-6, 6-4 NCAC) for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The Tigers knocked off 22nd-ranked Ohio Wesleyan 65-63 in overtime on road Saturday.
