Wabash 54, Ohio Wesleyan 52

Jan. 31, 2007

Senior wing Matt Shirer (Medina) hit a lay-in to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 3 points with :51 left in regulation time, but Wabash answered with a basket that proved to be the winning margin, allowing the Little Giants to escape Branch Rickey Arena with a North Coast Athletic Conference win on Wednesday.

With the Bishops trailing, 50-41, with 3:41 remaining in regulation time, junior post Dustin Rudegeair (Yellow Springs) sank a pair of free throws and junior post Jesse Jean (Alexandria, Va./Hyde (Conn.) School) sank a lay-in to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 50-45 with 2:58 to go.

Ohio Wesleyan forced a Wabash turnover, but Jean misfired on a jumper and the Little Giants cleared the rebound, then worked the shot clock before Andrew Zimmer sank a lay-in to make it a 52-45 game with 1:39 left.

The Bishops answered with a basket by Rudegeair, then forced another Wabash turnover, but Rudegeair's 3-pointer was off the mark and Wabash's Ryan Stephens was fouled on the rebound. Ohio Wesleyan dodged a bullet when Stephens missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:08 left, and the Bishops closed to within 52-49 when Jean tipped a missed shot to Shirer, who went in for a lay-in with :51 to play.

Wabash again worked the shot clock and Earl Rooks drove from the right side and sent a lay-in high off the glass and in for a 54-49 Little Giant lead with :14 to go, allowing Wabash to withstand a 3-pointer by senior wing Ted Uritus (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) at the buzzer.

Wabash scored the game's first 7 points, getting jumpers by Zimmer and Andy Root and a 3-point play by Stephens in the first 3 minutes of play.

Senior post Ben Chojnacki (Medina) responded with a jumper to put the Bishops on the scoreboard, but that 5-point margin was as close as Ohio Wesleyan would come during the first half. The Little Giants eventually built the lead to 13 points, taking a 28-15 advantage on Brian Maloney's lay-in with 2:38 to play.

Ohio Wesleyan got back into the game by scoring the last 8 points of the half, with sophomore wing Kyle Miller (Delaware/Hayes) hitting a pair of 3-pointers that brough the Bishops within 28-23 at the intermission.

While the Bishops were able to stay in the game during the second half, keeping the deficit in single digits for the entire period, they were not able to get closer than 5 points until Shirer's basket with :51 to play.

Jean led the Bishops with 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Uritus had a team-high 3 assists.

Zimmer led Wabash with 14 points. Brian Maloney finished with 12 points and Stephens had 11 points and 17 rebounds. Rooks led the Little Giants with 3 assists.

Box Score

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