OBERLIN, Ohio -- Wabash survived its toughest shooting effort of the season to remain unbeaten in North Coast Athletic Conference play with a 66-57 victory at Oberlin College on Saturday afternoon.
 
The victory moved Wabash to 4-4 for the season with an unblemished 3-o record in NCAC contests. Oberlin fell to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in conference games.
 
The Little Giants came into the game shooting 46.8 percent from the field for the season but made just 17 of 54 total shots for a 31.5 percent effort overall. Wabash limited Oberlin to 18 baskets out of 50 attempts (36 percent). The advantage for the Little Giants came from behind the three-point arc, where Wabash made 11 of 27 total attempts (40.7 percent). The Yeomen made only four three-point baskets out of 15 shots beyond the arc (26.7 percent).
 
Wabash never trailed in the contest, jumping out to an early 8-3 lead on free throws from Rich Brooks and back-to-back baskets by Vinny Buccilla. Buccilla finished the game with a season-high 22 points and led Wabash with eight rebounds. He also recorded a team-best three steals.
 
The Little Giants added a free throw from Gavin Schipppert and three-pointers from Schippert and Josh Whack to jump in front 15-5 four minutes into the contest.
 
Wabash would not score again for the next four minutes, allowing Oberlin to trim the lead to six points before Buccilla ended the Yeomen run with a three-pointer. The senior guard added another triple midway through the first period to push the advantage back to 12 points at 21-9.
 
The Little Giants survived another scoring drought, playing six minutes without a basket after getting only one free throw from Randy Kelley. Buccilla restarted the offense once again with a layup off an Oberlin turnover to give Wabash a 24-15 lead. Buccilla and Kelley ended the first half with back-to-back three-pointers to give the Little Giants a 34-21 lead at halftime.
 
Oberlin scored first to start the second half, but Brooks connected on a three-pointer and converted a free throw after being fouled on the shot to give Wabash its largest lead at 38-24. The Little Giants maintained a double-digit lead throughout most of the second half, never letting the Yeomen get closer than eight points in the final 20 minutes of play.
 
Wabash turned nine Oberlin turnovers into 11 points on offense while committing only six turnovers. The Little Giants made 21 of 27 free throw attempts to finish 77.8 percent from the line. Oberlin made 17 of 25 free throws for a 68 percent shooting effort.
 
Brooks and Nate Matelic each scored 10 points to join Buccilla in double-digit scoring for Wabash. Josh Whack grabbed six rebounds in the winning effort for the Little Giants.
 
Milun Micanovic paced Oberlin with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Yuki Okubo and JJ Gray scored 10 points apiece.
 
Wabash is off until late December, when the Little Giants will play Albion College on Saturday, December 21, in the opening game of the Don Lane Tournament hosted by Transylvania University.