Wabash controlled the glass against Rust College Saturday afternoon, scoring 21 points off 20 offensive rebounds en route to a 77-72 victory in the opening game of the Black Tie Classic at Birmingham-Southern College.
 
The Little Giants (1-1) owned a 49-22 rebounding edge to help erase a 10-point lead held by Rust in the first five minutes of the game. Wabash utilized the sharpshooting skills of freshman guard Colten Garland to capture the victory. Garland hit 5-of-10 three-point tries as part of a 6-for-14 effort from the field to lead the team with 18 points.
 
Garland tied the game at 21-21 with 8:54 remaining in the first half before Rust (0-1) ran off an 18-11 scoring streak to end the period with a 39-31 lead. Garland and Ronald Ryan scored seven points over the first six minutes of the second half to provide a one-point lead for Wabash.
 
The Little Giants took a six-point lead on a Logan White basket after Ryan snagged a missed Wabash trey with five minutes remaining in the contest. Wabash maintained its advantage throughout the remainder of the game, locking up the win with a pair of Ryan free throws in the final 11 seconds.
 
Ryan and Evan Frank each chipped in 11 points. Frank picked up a double-double with a team-high 15 rebounds. White add 10 boards and nine points.
 
Dominique Brown scored a game-best 10 points for Rust on 8-of-16 shooting.
 
Wabash shot 28-of-66 from the field and 8-of-22 from three-point range while Rust finished 26-of-56 overall and 7-of-20 from behind the arc.
 
The Little Giants play the host Panthers, who defeated Rose-Hulman 80-69 in Saturday's second game. Tipoff begins at 4 p.m. EST.