Kyle Medeiros' buzzer-beating 12-foot shot gave Wabash a come-from-behind victory over Kenyon College that locked up the third seed for the Little Giants when the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament begins Tuesday.
Wabash sizzled the nets in building a 33-25 first half lead. The Little Giants hit 64 percent of their shots and 57 percent of the three-pointers. But the Lords stormed back behind the hot shooting of junior Matt Formato, who finished with a game-high 24 points.
As hot as Wabash was in the first half, they were just as cold in the second half. The Little Giants hit only 28 percent of their second-half shots and were just one-of-10 from behind the three-point line.
Despite missing a dozen free throws, including eight in the second half, Wabash chipped away at the Kenyon lead that swelled to as many as eight points mid-way through the second half.
Kyle Coffey hit a rebound basket and the ensuing free throw to knot the game at 54-54 with 35.2 seconds left. After Wabash held Kenyon scoreless, Gary Simkus threw a length-of-the-floor pass with 1.4 seconds to play. The pass was intercepted then dropped by Tyler Rehm.
Medeiros scooped up the loose ball and tossed it in for the game-winner, the first game-winning shot of his career.
Medeiros led the Little Giants (13-12; 10-6 NCAC) with 14 points, while Simkus had eight points and a team-high seven rebounds.
It was Senior Day for Wabash. Seniors Doug Ross (2 points, 2 steals), Nate Bell (4 points, 3 rebounds), and David Wagner (7 points, 3 assists) all earned starts against Kenyon.
By virtue of the win, Wabash will host Ohio Wesleyan University, the sixth-seeded team, in Tuesday night's opening round of the NCAC tournament. Tipoff is set for 7:30.