Wabash shot 60 percent from the field and connected on 15-of-17 free throw attempts in the second half of Sunday's basketball game at Mount St. Joseph University to come away with a 96-88 victory in a non-conference game.
 
Senior guard Tyler Watson scored 16 points and became the 29th player in program history to score 1,000 or more career points, joining teammate Jake Davidson on the all-time list. Davidson led all scorers with 34 points and currently ranks fifth in all-time scoring at Wabash with 1,869 career points.
 
Wabash (7-3) outscored the host Lions (4-5) by 10 points, 57-47, in the final period. Sunday's game saw 16 ties and 16 lead changes. The Little Giants trailed 41-39 at halftime but tied the score with an opening basket by Davidson in the first eight seconds of the second period. Wabash built an eventual seven-point lead at 60-53 with 13:48 left to play on a Davidson three-point basket. Mount St. Joseph got as close as four points with a three-point basket from Evan Wiehe before Ahmoni Jones responded with four of his 16 points to push the Little Giants' advantage to eight points at 64-56.
 
The Lions used a 7-0 run over the span of 2:21 to draw within a point at 64-63 midway through the final half. Watson ended the streak with a jump shot in the lane for his 1,000th point to push the lead to three points. The two teams traded baskets before Willard Cluxton's three-pointer with 8:51 remaining evened the score at 70-70.
 
Kellen Schreiber scored two of his 16 points with a layup to put Wabash back in front by two. But a three-pointer by David Luers put MSJ in front by one point, 73-72. The teams traded one-point leads on free throws from Jesse Hall and Jones with a pair of baskets by Dayne Gardner to maintain the home team's one-point advantage.
 
The Little Giants regained a four-point lead with 5:05 left to play but once again the Lions remained close. Mount rode a 7-2 scoring run over the next two minutes to regain the lead at 84-83. The Lions moved in front by three at 86-83 until Jones hit two more free throws and Davidson knocked down another three-point basket to put Wabash back in front 88-86. Watson got a steal at the defensive end of the floor and scored in transition on a driving layup to push the lead back to four points.
 
Watson added one final basket ahead of two more free throws from Jones, who hit 8-of-9 attempts at the line in the game. MSJ scored one final basket in the final 10 seconds before Davidson hit the final free throws of the game to lock up the eight-point win.
 
Wabash finished the game 21-of-23 from the free throw line to outscore Mount St. Joseph at the stripe. The Lions shot 13-of-18 on free throw ties in the game.
 
Four Little Giant players scored in double figures. Davidson led the way with 34 points while Watson, Jones, and Schreiber each scored 16 points. Watson handed out six assists. Davidson finished with four assists. Davidson, Watson, Jones, and Hall each grabbed five rebounds in the contest.
 
Thomas Brady led the Lions with 27 points. Gardner added 0 points. Luers picked up 15 points and Wiehe scored 11.
 
Wabash completes the non-conference portion of its 2021-22 schedule on Tuesday at home against Anderson University. Tipoff at Chadwick Court is slated for 7 p.m.