Box Score A pair of
Andy Walsh baskets in the third extra period lifted Wabash to a 95-87 home victory Saturday over Allegheny College. Walsh was one of four Little Giants to score in double figures in the game.
With the game tied at 85-85 Walsh snared a loose-ball rebound and hit the layup for the final lead of the game for Wabash. After a rare missed three-pointer by the Gators' Devone McLeod, Walsh drilled a triple from the left corner to stretch the lead to five points with 1:24 remaining in the third overtime. Bobby Theiss cut the lead to three with a driving layup and drew a foul for a possible three-point play, but missed the free throw.
Houston Hodges would hit a series of three free throws along with a
Daniel Purvlicis layup in the final minute of play to earn an important North Coast Athletic Conference victory.
The game provided 11 ties and 13 lead changes before Wabash closed out the contest with its 10-2 scoring run. The Gators were playing in their second consecutive overtime game. Allegheny posted a 69-67 one-overtime victory at DePauw.
Wabash trailed by two points at halftime before free throws by freshman
Marcus Kammrath, a jumper in the lane by Purvlicis, and a triple and two free throws by Sponsler gave Wabash a six-point edge. The Little Giants led by eight points with 7:47 left to play in regulation before McLeod, Theiss, Clark Tritto, and Kyle Murphy combined for a 11-3 scoring run over the next three minutes to knot the score at 60-60. Wabash trailed by two points with 17 seconds left before Sponsler hit two key free throws to tie the game, forcing the first extra period.
Both teams scored six points in each of the first two overtimes before Wabash earned the victory in the third extra session.
The game was an offensive showcase, with a total of eight players scoring in double figures. McLeod led all scorers with 34 points, connecting on 11-of-24 shot attempts and nearly-perfect 7-of-9 shooting from three-point range.
Ross Sponsler led the Little Giants with 21 points, less than 24 hours after . Walsh finished with a season-high 19 points, one shy of his career-best of 20 points. Purvlicis recorded his third double-double, hitting that mark in regulation before finishing the game with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Hodges tossed in a season-best 15 points coming off the bench for the first time this season for the Little Giants.
Wabash started a young lineup of freshmen and sophomores in an effort to help Coach Antoine Carpenter's squad snap a four-game losing streak. In addition to freshmen Sponsler, Purvlicis, and Kammrath, sophomores
Austin Hawn and
Jordan Wagner opened the game on the floor. Kammrath scored five points to go with seven rebounds. Hawn handed out three assists. Wagner scored two points along with a steal and an assist in his second career start.
Ryan Stanko scored 14 points to join McLeod in double-figure scoring for Allegheny (7-6, 1-3 NCAC). Tritto scored 11 before fouling out of the contest. Theiss finished with 10 points.
The Little Giants shot 41.6 percent from the field (32-of-77), while Allegheny finished 31-of-75 for 41.3 percent. Wabash hoisted 25 three-point attempts, hitting nine for 36 percent. Allegheny finished 14-of-32 from the line — 7-of-23 without the effort of McLeod. Wabash won the battle of boards 59-37, converting second-chance opportunities into 19 points.
Wabash improves to 4-9 with the victory and evens its NCAC record at 2-2. The Little Giants travel to Greencastle Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against arch-rival DePauw University.
