Sam Comer recorded a double-double with a career-best 15 rebounds to go with 16 points in Wednesday's North Coast Athletic Conference basketball game at Ohio Wesleyan University. The junior's effort could not overcome a cold shooting performance from three-point range in the Little Giants' 69-65 loss to the Battling Bishops.
 
Wabash (8-8, 4-3 NCAC) made only five of its 32 shot attempts (15.6 percent) from beyond the three-point arc in the contest. The Little Giants made 26 of 72 total shot attempts for 36.1 percent shooting overall.
 
Despite the woeful long-range results, Wabash remained in the game throughout. The Little Giants held an early seven-point advantage at 15-8 midway through the opening period. Wabash went scoreless over the next four minutes, allowing Ohio Wesleyan (6-10, 3-4 NCAC) to trim the lead to three points until Avery Beaver scored on a driving layup to put the Little Giants in front 17-3 with 6:29 remaining in the first half. Vinny Buccilla and Comer answered a basket from OWU's Isaac Ward to stake Wabash to a 21-15 advantage.
 
The Battling Bishops responded with a three-pointer from Tony Carter and a pair of free throws from Henry Hinkle to draw within a point at 21-20 with 3:01 remaining in the period. Comer extended the lead back three points with an offensive rebound, one of six in the game for the senior, and a put-back basket. OWU tied the score with a three-pointer from Hinkle, who finished with a game-high 32 points.
 
Beaver connected on the first made three-point shot in 14 attempts by the Little Giant with 58 seconds remaining in the period for a 26-23 lead, but the Bishops evened the score ahead of the halftime horn with a three-pointer from Jessee Battle.
 
Wabash regained the lead at the start of the second half and pushed the advantage to six points at 38-32 on a basket and free throw by Ahmoni Jones with 14:31 left to play in the contest. That six-point advantage held up over the next two minutes until Hinkle caught fire, scoring back-to-back baskets after a layup by OWU's Joey Duke to tie the game at 45-45. Hinkle gave the host Bishops their first lead of the second half with a three-pointer to cap a seven-point individual run to put OWU in front 48-45 with 9:56 remaining.
 
The two teams traded baskets until another driving layup by Beaver put Wabash in front 52-50. Battle tied the score for the seventh and final time with a layup at the other end with 7:38 left to play in the contest. Duke added two free throws on the Battling Bishops' next trip down the floor to give Ohio Wesleyan the lead for good.
 
OWU led by as many as four points with 3:46 remaining in the game before Beaver nailed the Little Giants' fifth and final three-point basket to bring Wabash to within a point at 61-60 with 3:30 on the game clock. Buccilla recorded back-to-back baskets in response to scores by OWU to keep the lead to one point with 49 seconds left to play. Hinkle provided the final dagger with a jumper with 21 seconds remaining to extend the lead to three at 67-64.
 
Wabash got two good final looks at the basket with a chance to tie the game. Beaver missed a corner three from the left side, but an offensive rebound by Buccilla gave the Little Giants another chance. Beaver's next triple also missed, but Comer snared his last offensive board and was fouled as he shot but could not get the ball to fall in the basket. He made his first free throw attempt, but Wabash could not grab a last rebound on the intentionally missed second free throw try with four seconds remaining. OWU hit two free throws at the other end to close out the game and claim the four-point home win.
 
Comer's 16-point, 15-rebound effort was his fourth career double-double and first this season. Jones added 16 points, and Beaver finished with 14 points in the loss.
 
Hinkle paced OWU with 32 points. Battle was the only other Battling Bishop in double figures with 16 points.
 
Ohio Wesleyan shot 27 of 59 from the field for 45.8 percent, including a 17-of-27 effort over the final 20 minutes for 63 percent. The Bishops made seven of 16 three-point shots for 45.8 percent. Wabash won the rebounding battle 40 to 38 and scored 19 second-chance points off 15 offensive rebounds compared to only five second-chance points for OWU.
 
Wabash returns to Chadwick Court on Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest against Hiram College.