Wabash cut a 22-point DePauw advantage to 12 points early in the second half, but would get no closer as the Tigers defeated the Little Giant basketball team 85-63 in the final game of the First Mike Rokicki Community vs. Cancer Basketball Classic at DePauw on Sunday.
The Little Giants took its only lead of the game early when Matt Storm (Anderson, IN/Lapel) connected on a three-pointer to put Wabash in front 3-1. DePauw answered with a 13-1 run to move ahead 14-4, eventually increasing the lead to 22 points with four minutes left in the first half. Despite a poor first-half shooting performance that saw Wabash connect on just 8-of-31 shots from the field, the Little Giants managed to claw their way back into the game, cutting the lead to 16 at the half.
Back-to-back baskets by Wabash at the start of the second period made it a 38-26 game in favor of the Tigers before DePauw increased the advantage to 21 points once again. The lead would get to 28 before a final run by the Little Giants trimmed it to 22 at the end of the game.
Wabash (1-4) was led by the career-high 11-point effort of sophomore forward Alex Rinks (Indianapolis, IN/Beech Grove), the only player to reach double-figures for the Little Giants. Storm and freshman Mark Bower (Bloomington, IN/Bloomington South) each had nine points. Zeljko Gavranovic (Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina/St. Mary’s, AZ) and Adonis Joseph (Mishawaka, IN/Mishawaka) each tossed in eight points. The Little Giants finished the game hitting 23-of-68 for 33.8-percent from the field.
Wabash will play DePauw again on Wednesday night at Chadwick Court. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.