Crawfordsville, Ind. — Wabash played without its leading scorer and could not overcome a torrid DePauw shooting performance Wednesday night, falling 89–79 at Chadwick Court as the Tigers snapped the Little Giants' six-game winning streak in the rivalry.
 
Wabash (3-2, 0-1 NCAC) entered the North Coast Athletic Conference opener without senior guard Josh Whack, who averaged 15 points a game but was sidelined by an injury.
 
The Little Giants still opened well, scoring the game's first basket and stringing together an 8–0 run to take an early 18–6 lead behind baskets from Nate Matelic, Luke Ellspermann, and Gavin Schippert. Matelic hit two early buckets, Ellspermann scored in transition, and Keegan Manowitz knocked down four straight free throws as Wabash controlled the opening 10 minutes.
 
But the Tigers (5-2, 1-0 NCAC) responded with a scoring surge of their own. Joe Smith and Caleb Washington ignited a 9–0 DePauw run, cutting the lead to 18–15. DePauw continued its push with back-to-back threes from Washington and Smith, eventually tying the game at 29 and then taking its first lead on Brady Kunka's transition layup. Washington added another layup off a turnover in the final minute as the Tigers closed the half up 36–30.
 
DePauw blitzed Wabash out of halftime, scoring the first six points of the period and building a 46–32 advantage behind Kunka and Eli Ellis. Kunka finished with a game-high 21 points, repeatedly scoring at the rim and on second-chance opportunities.
 
Wabash fought back behind Colton Stowers and Schippert, who combined for six straight points to trim the deficit to single digits. Schippert, who finished with 15 points and five rebounds, scored three consecutive baskets during a stretch that pulled Wabash within 59–64 with just under 10 minutes remaining.
 
But each time Wabash closed the gap, DePauw answered. Sam Jacobs buried a corner three, Smith converted a transition layup and free throw, and Kunka added another layup as part of a 7–2 run that pushed the Tigers' lead back to double digits.
 
Wabash made one last push when Matelic scored inside to cut the margin to 87–79 in the final minute, but DePauw closed out the win at the defensive end to earn its first victory over the Little Giants since January 14, 2023.
 
The Little Giants shot 47.6% from the field overall but struggled at the foul line, going 14 of 29. DePauw shot 61.8% from the field and made 12 of 22 shots from three-point range, including a blistering 75.9% from the field in the second half with a 7-of-11 effort from beyond the arc.
 
Matelic led Wabash with 18 points, shooting 8 of 11 from the floor. Ellspermann added 16 points and six rebounds, while Stowers chipped in 12 points.