CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana --- Wabash College junior Rich Brooks scored a career-high 25 points to pace the Little Giants to a 77-67 North Coast Athletic Conference win over Kenyon College Saturday afternoon at Chadwick Court.

The win extended the Wabash (10-6, 6-1 NCAC) winning streak to three games. Kenyon falls to 3-13 overall and 1-6 in NCAC contests with the loss.

Brooks set career marks in total points and three-point field goals made (5) while matching his career-best effort with eight made field goals. The junior guard made 8 of 14 field goal attempts and hit five of his nine three-point tries. Brooks also made all four free throw attempts. 

The Little Giants needed every point to overcome a hot-shooting Kenyon squad. The Owls shot 46.4 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes of the game, including a 7-of-11 effort from three-point range in the first half. Kenyon used its good shooting effort to erase a Wabash seven-point lead in the first half to take a 20-19 advantage with 7:29 remaining in the opening period. 

Wabash regained its lead with a layup from Gavin Schippert and a driving layup off a Kenyon turnover from Randy Kelley to move in front 23-20. The two teams traded baskets, with the Owls taking a 28-27 lead at the 5:05 mark of the half. 

The Little Giants responded with an 8-0 run over the next 4:50 on two Kelley layups, a Noah Hupmann layup, and a jumper from Nate Matelic to put Wabash up 35-28. Kenyon made one last run of its own in the period, closing within a point at 37-36 on a last-second three-pointer from Gefen Bar-Cohen. 

Brooks finished with 12 points in the first half and continued to light up the basket in the second. Kenyon scored the opening basket of the second half to take a 38-37 lead before Brooks drilled back-to-back three-point shots to put the Little Giants up 43-38. The junior added a pair of free throws ahead of baskets from Matelic and Vinny Buccilla that extended the Wabash lead to double digits at 49-39. Gavin Schippert added a three-pointer to give Wabash its biggest lead of the game at 52-39. 

Kenyon whittled the lead back down to six points, but a free throw from Buccilla and another triple from Brooks pushed the advantage back to ten points with 8:56 left to play. The Owls got no closer than eight points in the closing minutes, eight free throws in the final minute, including a pair of Brooks to reach his career-high 25 points to secure the victory. 

Wabash shot 27 of 56 from the field for the game (48.2 percent) and made 9 of 24 three-point tries (37.5 percent). Kenyon finished 23 of 59 from the field (39 percent) and cooled from long range in the second period. The Owls made only 3 of 12 long-range shots in the final 20 minutes to finish 10 of 23 from three-point range for the contest. 

Kelley, Buccilla, and Matelic joined Brooks in double-figure scoring for the Little Giants. Kelley finished with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting for the game. Buccilla scored 11 points, and Matelic added 10 points.

 Bar-Cohen led the Owls with 23 points. Marius Mazeika chipped in 14 for Kenyon.

Wabash continues its homestand on Wednesday, January 22, with a 7 p.m. contest against Wittenberg University.