An 18-2 run over 11 minutes in the first half proved to be the difference as the Wabash basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak, defeating LaGrange College 65-48 in the consolation game of the Papa John’s/Country Hearth Inn Tournament in Danville, Kentucky Thursday night.
While the Wabash defense kept the Panthers in check, the Little Giants shot 44 percent from the field and had three players reach double figures in scoring. Kyle Coffey (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) led the effort with 13 points, while Kyle Medeiros (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) and Nate Bell (Ft. Wayne, IN/Concordia Lutheran) each chipped in with 11 points.
With the score tied at 13-13 with eight minutes gone in the first period, the Little Giants exploded offensively. Wabash outscored LaGrange 21-7 over the final 12 minutes in the half to jump out to a 34-20 halftime edge.
After Michael Woods (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) tied the score at 13-13 with a three-pointer from the left wing, Medeiros gave the Little Giants the lead for good with a trey from the right side. Medeiros scored five of his 11 points during the huge first half stretch, while Coffey added seven of his 13 over the final 12 minutes of the first stanza.
The Little Giants’ defense hounded the Panthers, holding LaGrange to 32 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. While Wabash held the Panthers’ offense to 8-of-25 for the opening period, the Little Giants connected on 13-of-29 shots from the field for 45 percent.
Wabash pushed its lead to 19 points in the first five minutes of the second period before going on a cold shooting streak that allowed LaGrange to trim the lead to 12. But seven straight points from Bell over the next two minutes would make it an 18-point game again.
The Little Giants hit 25-of-56 shots from the field in the game, while LaGrange was just 18-of-59. The Panthers hit only three three-pointers out of 13 attempts. Wabash was 5-of-20 from behind the arc.
Caleb Lyttle (Sullivan, IN/Sullivan) snared eight of Wabash’s 39 rebounds. David Wagner (Belleville, IL/Belleville) had five rebounds, four on the offensive end of the floor. Lyttle also dished out five assists.
Wabash moves to 5-6 with the win. The Little Giants return to action in the North Coast Athletic Conference next weekend. Wabash will put its undefeated league record on the line Friday, January 7 with a 7:30 p.m. contest at Hiram College. The Little Giants will play again Saturday afternoon, January 8 at 2 p.m. at Allegheny College.