Wabash cut a 23-point second-half deficit to six points with 5:34 remaining in the game but could not get past undefeated Wittenberg in an 84-74 North Coast Athletic Conference game loss in Springfield, Ohio.
 
The Little Giants (8-6, 4-3 NCAC) led by as many as six points in the first four minutes of the game before the host Tigers (14-0, 7-0 NCAC), ranked second in the nation in the latest D3hoops.com top-25 poll, used a 13-6 scoring run over the next five minutes to move in front 15-14. The teams traded the lead before eventually tying the score at 22-22 before Wittenberg went on a 16-4 run over the final seven minutes of the half to take a 38-26 into the locker room at the break.
 
Kellen Schreiber scored the first basket of the second half for Wabash to trim the advantage to 10 points. Wittenberg responded with a 14-2 run to push the lead to 22 points. The teams traded baskets before a three-point play from Connor Seipel extended the lead to 23 points with 13:39 remaining in the contest.
 
Schreiber hit a three-point basket ahead of a pair of Wittenberg free throws for a 60-38 score with 12:16 left to play. That's when the Little Giants began to mount their comeback effort. Schreiber connected on two free throw attempts to start a 15-0 scoring run for Wabash. Ahmoni Jones scored back-to-back baskets with a three-pointer and a layup to cut the lead to 15 points. Jack Davidson added a jumper just outside the lane to make the score 60-47 in favor of Wittenberg with 9:09 on the game clock. Justin Hensley and Colten Garland capped the scoring run with three-point baskets to trim the lead to single digits at 60-53 with seven minutes left to play.
 
The Tigers ended the run with a layup from Seipel, but Garland responded with a pair of free throws to make it a seven-point contest once again. Wabash forced a turnover for a chance to draw within five points of the Tigers but gave the ball away with a turnover of its own. Landon Martin scored at the other end for Wittenberg for a 64-55 lead for Wittenberg with 5:50 remaining in the game. Hensley added another three-point basket for the Little Giants to make the deficit six points with 5:34 on the clock, but a basket from Jake Bertemes and three free throws from James Johnson stretched the lead back to 10 points for the Tigers.
 
Wabash got as close as seven points on two different occasions in the closing minutes of the game, but the Tigers capitalized by hitting 11 of their 12 free throw attempts in the final three minutes for the 10-point victory.
 
Wittenberg took advantage of opportunities around the basket, scoring 42 points in the paint while shooting 54.9 percent from the field (28-of-51). Wabash shot 27-of-65 overall (41.5 percent) while going 12-of-29 from three-point range (41.4 percent). Wittenberg finished 24-of-28 from the free throw line for 85.7 percent. The Little Giants were perfect from the line on eight attempts in the game.
 
Davidson paced Wabash offensively with 15 points. He moved into ninth place on the Wabash all-time scoring list with 1,401 career points to vault past Tom Bennett and Daniel Purvlicis. Harrison Hallstrom scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Hensley matched his season-high total with a 12-point effort. Schreiber, Garland, and Jones each finished 10 points.
 
Johnson led Wittenberg with 23 points. Martin scored 22 points. Seipel added 16 points and Bertemes chipped in 12 points.  
 
Wabash returns home for a Saturday contest against Kenyon College. Tipoff at Chadwick Court is set for 2 p.m.