The Wabash College basketball team dropped a home conference game to 19th-ranked Denison Saturday afternoon, 66-53, at Chadwick Court. Freshman Colten Garland carried the Little Giants offense with 20 points while going 4-7 from beyond the three-point line.
 
Coming off of losing efforts against Allegheny and Wittenberg over the past two weeks, the Little Giants needed to find a way to match the intensity of Denison both on offense and defense. Garland scored nine points in the first half, and eleven points in the second half, at times when a Wabash basket was imperative.

"Denison's intensity goes hand-in-hand with their experience," Wabash head coach Kyle Brumett said. "You learn how to have that kind of intensity. Make no mistake, these guys have had their low-points, but with their experience they learned how to overcome those sorts of situations. That kind of experience is what we are trying to build and what we are trying to grow into."
 
Sophomore Logan White battled on the defensive end for the Little Giants. He pulled down six total rebounds, including five defensive rebounds, and tallied 10 points for the game. Though the score between the Little Giants and the Big Red was tied four times throughout the game, the lead never strayed away from the possession of Denison.
 
Wabash (7-8, 3-5 NCAC) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game, maintaining its lead before the Big Red tied the contest at the 11-minute mark, 15-15. The teams battled back and forth until Denison went on a 13-2 run to close out the half to take a 37-24 lead at the half.
 
The Little Giants cut the lead to nine points on three different occasions in the second half but could draw no closer.
 
Wabash totaled 14 turnovers in Saturday's game, eerily close to their season average of 13.6 turnovers per game.

"In the first half we did not limit the turnovers and the points off turnovers," Brumett said. "In the second half, we did limit those factors and it showed. The second half was a grind, but we have to keep growing through the young guys."

Denison (14-1, 8-0 NCAC) was led in scoring by the trio of Jett Speelman, Matthew Bauer, and Brett Woolard with 13 points apiece. 

Wabash will continue its quest to grow as a team against their archrival DePauw University on Wednesday, January 18th at Wabash. Tip-off will be at 7:30 pm.