Wabash overcame a slow start and a 10-point first-half deficit to pick up a 91-79 win over Berry College in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. 

Jack Davidson scored a game-high 34 points. Tyler Watson scored 29 points. Kellen Schreiber chipped in 14 points. All three players finished with seven rebounds apiece as the smaller Wabash (25-3) won the rebounding battle against Berry (23-3) by a margin of 35 to 28. The Little Giants limited Berry to five offensive rebounds and only six second-chance points. 

Wabash fell behind 17-7 in the first seven minutes before whittling the Vikings' lead to five points at 26-21 with 7:39 left to play in the opening half. The Little Giants outscored Berry 22-11 over the final seven minutes to take a 43-37 lead at halftime. 

"It was a great game," Wabash head coach Kyle Brumett said. "I felt like both teams played through some nerves in the first half. It was physical with a lot of fouls called early. There's a feeling-out process in every game. You're figuring out what the other team is going to try and take away, how they're going to guard it, and how the game is going to be officiated. I think for us it took a little longer in the first half than it normally does. We settled down and held them to 12 points in the last 11 minutes of the first half. That was important for us to get the pace going."

Davidson scored 21 first-half points, scoring on four drives to the basket as Berry pressured him outside the arc. The senior guard continued to attack on offense, either scoring from the field or the free throw line. Davidson finished the game shooting 10-of-19 overall with only two three-point baskets. He went 12-of-14 from the free throw line. 

Wabash expanded its lead to 10 points at 52-42 in the first three minutes of the second half. Watson, who scored 12 points in the first half, caught fire in the second. He scored 17 points in the final 20 minutes to finish with his second-highest point total of the season. The Little Giants never trailed in the final period despite Berry getting as close as two points at 63-61 midway through the final period.

Wabash found Schreiber near the basket for 10 second-half points. Davidson handed out a game-high five assists while Watson, Edreece Redmond, and Sam Comer each gave out two assists. 

Redmond and Vinny Buccilla provided defense pressure that helped generate 19 points off turnovers for Wabash. The Little Giants forced Berry into 12 turnovers and made seven steals in the game. Redmond led the way with three steals, one leading to a quick transition basket in the first half. He scored seven points for Wabash.

The Little Giants needed the scoring near the basket as their outside shots were unable to fall. Wabash came into the game ranked second in the nation in three-point shooting at 40.9 percent. The Little Giants hit only 8-of-24 shots from beyond the arc for 33.3 percent. 

Wabash shot 30-of-60 from the field for 50 percent and finished 23-of-26 from the free throw line for 88.5 percent.

Chase Ellis led Berry with 24 points. Austin Brooks added 17 points and Owen Honroth scored 16 points.

Wabash advances to the second round and will play the host Emory Eagles at the Woodruff P.E. Center at 7:10 p.m. Saturday.