CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash College saw an 18-point second-half lead slip away Wednesday night at Chadwick Court, falling 85–84 to visiting Kalamazoo College in a non-conference matchup that swung dramatically over the final 15 minutes. The Little Giants, who led by a dozen at halftime and by as much as 52–34 early in the second period, were outscored 51–38 after the break as the Hornets mounted a series of sustained scoring runs to stun the home crowd.

Wabash (4–3) seized control late in the first half by stringing together its most efficient offensive stretch of the night. After Kalamazoo (3-5) briefly cut the lead to 34–32 with just over three minutes remaining, the Little Giants dominated the closing sequence, outscoring the Hornets 12–2 the rest of the way. Luke Ellspermann delivered a critical answer at 2:56 with a deep three-pointer to stop the Hornets' momentum. Moments later, Nate Matelic turned a steal into a fast-break layup, and Rich Brooks added back-to-back baskets—including a hook shot in traffic—to stretch the lead to nine. Wabash capped the surge when Brooks buried a step-back three from the left corner with 13 seconds remaining to send the Little Giants into halftime ahead 46–34.

The momentum carried forward immediately after the break. Wabash extended the run to 18–2 spanning halftime by scoring the first six points of the second half. Ellspermann opened the period by converting a second-chance layup and the ensuing free throw. On the next possession, Deric Cannady curled off a screen in transition and drilled a three-pointer at the 19:10 mark, pushing the Little Giants' advantage to its largest margin of the game at 52–34. Over that stretch—covering about four minutes of game time—Wabash converted six of seven field-goal attempts while forcing three Kalamazoo turnovers.

But Kalamazoo regrouped quickly. Carter Bandemer answered with a three-pointer at 18:37, igniting the push that gradually erased the deficit. The Hornets began chipping away with a 6–0 burst fueled by offensive rebounding and Wabash turnovers, trimming the lead to 54–49 by the 15:00 mark. They continued to surge with a 12–3 run midway through the half — highlighted by Bandemer's shooting and the interior play of JJ Stevens — to draw even at 57–57 with 12:22 remaining.

Wabash briefly steadied itself, regaining a 66–62 lead behind scores from Colton Stowers and Keegan Manowitz. But Stevens, who finished with 17 points, kept finding space in the lane, and Bandemer connected again from distance at 10:01 to give Kalamazoo its first lead of the half at 62–60.

The teams traded punches over the final eight minutes. Wabash regained the edge 79–78 on a Gavin Schippert putback with 2:39 left. Brooks later tied the game at 81–81 with a hook shot before hitting a deep three with 1:09 remaining to push the Little Giants back in front, 84–83.

Kalamazoo closed the game at the free-throw line. Connor Kouki sank two high-pressure foul shots with four seconds left to give the Hornets an 85–84 lead. Wabash had a final possession, but a half-court three from Cannady at the horn fell short.
The Little Giants shot 43.2 percent from the field and 10-of-36 from three-point range, while Kalamazoo countered with a 55.9 percent shooting performance. Wabash held a 35–34 rebounding edge and produced 24 second-chance points but was hampered by 17 turnovers that resulted in 21 Hornet points.

Brooks led Wabash with 20 points, followed by Ellspermann with 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Stowers added 12, and Matelic contributed 12 off the bench.

Wabash returns to North Coast Athletic Conference play on Saturday, traveling to John Carroll University for the Little Giants' first-ever conference meeting with the Blue Streaks. John Carroll is in its inaugural season as an NCAC member.