Crawfordsville, Ind. — Wabash College built an early double-digit lead and withstood a late charge to earn a 64-59 North Coast Athletic Conference victory Wednesday evening against Denison University at Chadwick Court.
 
The Little Giants (9-4, 3-1 NCAC) handed Denison (8-5, 3-1NCAC) its first conference loss of the season. The Big Red arrived at Chadwick Court unbeaten in league play, tied for first place in the NCAC standings, and as the defending conference regular-season and tournament champion from the 2024-25 season.
 
Wabash, Denison, and Wittenberg are all tied at 3-1 in the conference standings. DePauw owns a 4-1 NCAC record after posting a 70-43 home victory over Wittenberg on Wednesday to hand the Ohio Tigers their first conference loss of the season.
 
Wabash set the tone from the opening tip, scoring the game's first 11 points. Gavin Schippert opened the scoring with a layup before Luke Ellspermann buried a 3-pointer and Schippert followed with two more triples during the opening surge. The Little Giants led 11-2 before Denison called its first timeout just over two minutes into the contest.
 
Denison found most of its offense inside in the opening half, led by Luke Salkowski, who scored on a pair of finishes in the paint and controlled the glass early. Kellon Smith added baskets during an 8-2 Denison run that trimmed the margin, but the Big Red struggled to generate consistent perimeter scoring as Wabash responded with another push.
 
Nate Matelic converted a second-chance basket, Ellspermann and Matelic each knocked down 3-pointers, and the Little Giants stretched the lead to 21-5 with 12:24 left in the first half. Wabash continued to pressure Denison defensively, forcing turnovers that fueled transition opportunities and kept the Big Red from mounting sustained momentum.
 
Deric Cannady provided a spark late in the half, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, including a fast-break triple with 1:48 remaining, to help Wabash carry a 32-22 advantage into halftime.
 
Wabash opened the second half with the same intensity. Schippert finished a fast-break layup and Josh Whack followed with a basket in the paint to push the lead to 36-24. Colton Stowers added a finish inside before Rich Brooks capped the run with a fast-break dunk to give the Little Giants a 40-24 advantage less than three minutes into the half.
 
The Big Red responded behind interior play from Salkowski and transition scoring from Owen Giannoulias. Giannoulias scored twice on fast breaks, and Liam Taylor added a second-chance basket, but Wabash countered each push to maintain a double-digit cushion. Cannady's 3-pointer at the 16:17 mark gave Wabash its largest lead of the night at 43-26.
 
Denison continued to chip away midway through the half, using paint points and offensive rebounds to close the gap to 45-33. Giannoulias and Taylor combined for several baskets during the stretch, but Wabash answered with timely scoring and free throws to keep the Big Red at arm's length.
 
Denison mounted its strongest rally in the final eight minutes behind Smith and Taylor. Smith attacked the rim for consecutive baskets, while Taylor connected on a pull-up jumper and a tip-in to pull the Big Red within 57-53 with just over three minutes remaining.
 
The Big Red closed to within two points in the final minute after Giannoulias converted a layup and Salkowski added free throws, but Wabash remained composed. Whack drew a foul and converted at the line before Brooks sealed the outcome with two free throws in the final seconds to secure the 64-59 conference victory.
 
Ellspermann led Wabash with 14 points and six rebounds, while Cannady added 12 points off the bench. Schippert finished with 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting night, and Brooks chipped in nine points, including four key free throws late.
 
Smith, Giannoulias and Taylor each scored 14 points to lead Denison, while Salkowski added eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The Big Red scored 40 of their 59 points in the paint but struggled from long range, connecting on just four 3-point attempts.
Wabash returns to North Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday with a road trip to the College of Wooster for a 3:15 p.m. tip-off.