A controversial call on the final offensive set by Wabash cost the Little Giants a 65-64 loss at Earlham Wednesday night. The Little Giants battled back from a ten-point halftime deficit to take a lead late in the game, but a charge call with one second left on the clock would decide the contest.
Trailing by one point, the Little Giants took a timeout to setup the final play of the game. Junior center Kyle Coffey (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) hit what appeared to be the game-winner for Wabash, but the official under the basket gave the game to the Quakers on a charge call whistled against Coffey.
Wabash trailed throughout the entire first half, falling behind by as many as 13 points. The Little Giants could not get a shot off before the buzzer and went into the locker room trailing by ten at the break.
After trading baskets to open the second period, Adonis Joseph (Mishawaka, IN/Mishawaka) grabbed a rebound and fired it up court to Caleb Lyttle (Sullivan, IN/Sullivan). Lyttle found Gary Simkus (Highland, IN/Highland) wide open under the basket on the break to make it an eight-point game.
Simkus and Coffey continued to keep the Little Giants close before a Kyle Medeiros (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) jumper trimmed the lead to 41-33 in favor of the Quakers. Another Simkus three made it a five-point lead before Michael Woods (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) stole the ball at the defensive end and found Andrew Zimmer (Hobart, IN/Hobart) at the other end of the floor. Zimmer missed the driving layup but hit two free throws when he was fouled on the attempt, cutting the lead to three.
Brandon Miller answered with a basket to end the Wabash scoring run, starting a 4-0 run for Earlham. Woods ended that run with a three from the right corner, putting Wabash down by just four points.
The lead hovered at six in favor of the Quakers over the next four minutes. A free throw by Zimmer and a steal and a layup by David Wagner (Belleville, IL/Belleville) cut the lead to three points once again. The Little Giants answered on the next play on defense, forcing a turnover on the inbound pass by Earlham. Wabash took advantage when Medeiros drained a three to tie the game at 51-51.
But the Quakers answered with five quick points to jump back in front. After a Joseph three, Simkus stepped to the free throw line and tied the game at 58-58 with 5:34 left in the contest. A free throw by Earlham put the Quakers up one, but Simkus stepped back to the line on the next offensive trip by Wabash to put the Little Giants in front for the first time in the game.
A Quaker free throw by Jermaine Crumby tied the game at 60-60. As the free throw parade continued, this time it would be Wes Koch (Winchester, IN/Winchester) put the Little Giants back up by one. Koch went to the line again, giving Wabash a 62-60 lead with 2:42 remaining.
The Little Giants kept looking to Koch inside. The sophomore answered with two more free throws to make the lead three points. Wabash would lose Koch on the next trip down the floor when he fouled out with 1:38 remaining. Two free throws by the Quakers cut the Wabash advantage to 63-62.
Simkus pushed the lead back to two with a free throw. With less than a minute remaining in the game, Earlham heaved a three but missed. Simkus grabbed the loose ball rebound and was fouled, but missed both free throws. Wabash committed a foul going for the rebound, sending the Quakers’ Miller to the stripe, who hit the first attempt but missed the second. Wabash grabbed the rebound but missed the shot and fouled once again on the rebound. Miller drained both charity tosses to put the Quakers in front by one with 18 seconds left, setting up the final series.
Wagner stole the final inbound pass, but his half-court three-pointer fell off to the left, giving the Quakers the victory.
Simkus led the Little Giants with 20 points.
Wabash can still wrap up the third seed and a home berth with a win Saturday against Kenyon College. Tipoff at Chadwick Court is set for 3 p.m. Seventeen Wabash alums will return to Wabash Saturday for the annual Alumni game at 1 p.m.