The Wabash College basketball team overcame a slow start to earn a convincing victory in North Coast Athletic Conference competition at The College of Wooster on Saturday afternoon. Four Little Giants scored in double figures, led by 24 points from Ahmoni Jones, in the 78-64 victory over the Fighting Scots.
 
Wabash (8-7, 4-2 NCAC) snapped a five-game overall losing streak and earned its first NCAC victory over the last three outings. The Little Giants shot 40 percent from the three-point range in the second half, connecting on 6 of 15 long-range attempts after missing their first seven shots from long range in the opening period. Wabash finished the game shooting 12 of 33 from behind the three-point arc for 36.4 percent.
 
Wabash fell behind 8-2 in the opening five minutes of the contest as almost nothing, including the shot clock in the Timken Gymnasium, seemed to be working from the opening tip for either team. Edreece Redmond and Rich Brooks scored back-to-back baskets to trim the Wooster (6-8, 2-3 NCAC) advantage to two points at 8-4. Scoring continued to be at a premium as neither team shot well in the game's opening minutes. The Little Giants finally took their first lead of the contest on an Avery Beaver three-pointer for a 12-10 advantage. The Scots regained the lead and rode a 7-0 scoring run to a 17-12 lead with 7:31 remaining in the first half.
 
Vinny Buccilla cut the Wooster lead to two points with a mid-range jumper, followed by another triple from Beaver to tie the score at 17-17 with five minutes on the first-half clock. Sam Comer added a three-point basket to put the Little Giants back in front 20-17. Wabash claimed its largest lead of the half when Jones scored on a hook shot in the lane for his first points of the game. The senior added another basket after a three-pointer by the Scots' Isaiah Johnson to maintain a three-point Wabash lead. Jaiden Cox-Holloway tied the score with a triple in the closing seconds of the half, but a three-pointer by Comer ahead of the buzzer gave the Little Giants a 30-27 halftime edge.
 
Wabash and Wooster traded scores in the early minutes of the second half until Jones began to catch fire by hitting his second three-point basket of the half to give the Little Giants a 44-41 lead. The senior drilled another long-range jumper for his 15^th point of the game and 11^th of the second period to push the lead to six points. Comer hit a floater in the lane to lift the Little Giants to a 48-41 advantage, forcing Wooster to take a timeout to try and stop the momentum.
 
The Scots scored the next five points after the timeout to get as close as three points at 49-46 midway through the final period. Wabash answered the scoring run with one of its own with another Jones three-pointer and two free throws to move back in front by eight points. Nick Everett scored for Wooster to trim the lead to six, 54-46, but a basket from Beaver and a Buccilla three-pointer pushed the Wabash lead to double-digits at 59-48 with 6:55 left to play. Wooster got as close as nine points on the next possession, but two free throws from Beaver provided another double-digit lead. The Little Giants matched each Wooster basket in the closing minutes to keep the double-digit advantage to claim the 14-point road victory.
 
While Wabash struggled early from the field, the Little Giants took advantage of 19 Wooster turnovers by converting the miscues into 20 points. Wabash grabbed nine offensive rebounds and scored 11 second-chance points despite being outrebounded 39- to 34 by the Scots. Jones grabbed eight rebounds to pace Wabash overall.The Little Giants committed only five turnovers over 40 minutes.
 
Jones finished with a game-high 24 points. Rich Brooks added 16 points off the bench, and Comer added another 13 points to the reserves' totals. The Little Giants' bench outscored Wooster 37-12. Beaver finished the game with 10 points.
 
Jamir Billings paced Wooster with 15 points. Ashton Price scored 12 points, and Cox-Holloway chipped in 11 points. Cox-Holloway also snared a game-best 12 rebounds and recorded five blocked shots.
 
Wabash travels to Delaware, Ohio, on Wednesday for an NCAC matchup against Ohio Wesleyan University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Game Notes

» Wabash found success from beyond the arc, knocking down 12 treys in the game.
» The Wabash bench came alive by scoring 37 points to its scoring output.
» Rich Brooks and Sam Comer came off the bench to score 16 and 13 points, respectively.
» The Little Giants forced 19 Wooster turnovers while committing only five on the other end.
» The Wabash defense forced 19 turnovers.
» Wabash turned the ball over five times while dishing out 13 assists.
» Ahmoni Jones led the Little Giants with a game-high 24 points.
» Wabash got a team-high eight rebounds from Ahmoni Jones.