Wittenberg Pulls Away from Wabash in NCAC Quarterfinals, 77-53
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wabash opened the game with an early spark but could not keep pace with a red-hot Wittenberg squad Tuesday night, falling 77-53 in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at Pam Evans Smith Arena .
The fifth-seeded Little Giants finished the season 15-11, while fourth-seeded Wittenberg improved to 18-8 by shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from three-point range.
Wabash struck first when Gavin Schippert buried a three-pointer off a turnover just 41 seconds into the contest for a 3-0 lead — the only advantage the Little Giants would hold. Wittenberg answered immediately with a second-chance three by Eddie Brown and a layup and free throw by Brown during a 9-2 surge that turned the early deficit into a 9-3 Tigers lead.
After Colton Stowers and Josh Whack each scored in the paint to keep Wabash within four at 11-7, Wittenberg began to separate. Noah Frayer's three-pointer and a series of interior baskets pushed the margin to 15-7. Nate Matelic sparked a response with a jumper and Rich Brooks drilled a three-pointer from a turnover to trim the deficit to 15-12.
Schippert connected on a three at the 11:54 mark to pull Wabash within one at 17-16, the final moment the Little Giants seriously threatened. Wittenberg countered with a 7-0 run fueled by a Sam Miller layup and Tyler Galluch's putback, stretching the lead to 24-16.
The Tigers continued to attack the paint and the glass. A Jace Wardlow three-pointer capped a 9-2 burst midway through the half to extend the lead to 29-18. Brown added a three-pointer and Frayer scored inside to build the margin to 36-21 before Brooks scored five points in the final 2:40 to cut the halftime deficit to 36-27.
Wittenberg shot 55.6 percent (15 of 27) in the first half, including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Wabash hit 33.3 percent (10 of 30) and went 3 of 14 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.
The Little Giants attempted to chip away early in the second half. Schippert scored twice on second-chance opportunities to bring Wabash within 38-31 at the 17:49 mark. But the Tigers answered with a decisive stretch. Bavineau converted off a turnover, and Miller and Wardlow combined for five straight points to ignite a 14-4 run that pushed the lead to 52-35 with 12:31 to play.
Wardlow scored on consecutive possessions and Spence Davidson knocked down a three-pointer during the surge, which ultimately grew into a 23-point advantage at 61-38 after Galluch hit a pair of free throws.
Wabash received a late push from Matelic, who scored seven points over a four-minute span, including two layups and three free throws, trimming the deficit to 66-46 with 5:29 remaining. However, Wittenberg closed the contest with a 9-2 run highlighted by Wardlow's layups and Frayer's three-pointer to build its largest lead of 27 points at 75-48.
Matelic led Wabash with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting and added five rebounds. Schippert scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Brooks finished with nine points and Whack added four points and five assists.
Wabash shot 33.9 percent (20 of 59) from the field, 12.5 percent (3 of 24) from three-point range, and 76.9 percent (10 of 13) from the free-throw line. The Little Giants held a 15-7 edge in second-chance points but were outscored 34-28 in the paint and 37-20 in bench scoring.
Brown and Wardlow each scored 13 points to lead Wittenberg, while Frayer added 13 and Miller finished with 12. Galluch contributed eight points. The Tigers converted 28 of 53 field-goal attempts and knocked down 10 of 21 three-pointers, while hitting 11 of 13 free throws.
Wittenberg led for 38:06 of the 40 minutes, with the game tied once and featuring only one lead change.
Tuesday's contest marked the final collegiate game for Wabash seniors Gavin Schippert, Rich Brooks, Josh Whack and Randy Kelley. Schippert concludes his career ranked 15th in program history with 558 rebounds. Brooks finished 11th all-time with 120 career three-point field goals. Whack totaled 155 career assists, just outside the program's top 30. Kelley, sidelined this season due to injury, wrapped up his three-year playing career with 348 points.
