Junior Caleb Lyttle (Sullivan, IN/Sullivan) recorded his first career double-double and fellow junior Kyle Coffey (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) added a career-best 21 points to give Wabash a 64-61 North Coast Athletic Conference basketball win at Chadwick Court Saturday afternoon. The tandem helped the Little Giants to a 42-22 scoring advantage in the paint to pickup the victory.
Lyttle (left) finished with a career-best 18 points and had his best rebounding effort of the season, snaring 10 boards.
Coffey scored four of the first six points for Wabash, leading the Little Giants to 10-1 lead that they would never relinquish. The Big Red responded over the next four minutes, closing the gap to two points with a 12-5 scoring run.
It would not be the last time Wabash saw a lead evaporate in the game. A second-chance basket by Lyttle in the paint and a fast break layup by junior guard Kyle Medeiros (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) put the Little Giants back up by eight. Lyttle finished the half with two consecutive layups to send Wabash to the locker room with a 35-25 lead.
Lyttle’s 10 points and Coffey’s eight points at the break helped the Little Giants outscore Denison 26-6 inside in the first 20 minutes. Wabash would continue to pound the ball inside in the second half, and would need every point to hold on for the win.
A layup by Lyttle started the second half push by the Wabash, answering an opening basket by the Big Red’s Robb Hern. Wabash led by 11 points five minutes into the final period, but saw look inside to sophomore Dan Hodgkinson. The 6-6 center, who finished with 14 points, scored 10 of those in the second half to help Denison close the gap. Starting guard Clint Shepherd did his part, as well, hitting 4-of-7 three-point baskets in the final 15 minutes. Shepherd trimmed the lead to two points with a trey for three of his team-high 19 points just past the halfway point before a layup by Lyttle and five straight points by Coffey (right) pushed the lead back to eight with six minutes left.
The game stayed close in the final minutes before a final three by Shepherd made it a 62-61 contest with 1:15 remaining. The Little Giants came down the floor, missed a driving shot in the lane but got the offensive rebound with 37 seconds left to reset the offense. A quick foul by Denison sent David Wagner (Belleville, IL/Belleville), who hit one free throw to give Wabash a two-point lead.
After a timeout the Big Red looked inside one final time for Hodgkinson to try and tie the game, but his shot rolled off the rim and was grabbed by Coffey. A final foul and made free throw by Coffey put Wabash up by three. Shepherd took the final shot for the Big Red, but his trey from the left side bounced off the iron.
Wabash moved to 8-7 overall with the win, 5-1 in NCAC action. The Little Giants play their second of three consecutive home games Wednesday night against in-state rival Earlham at 7:30 p.m.