Senior forward Caleb Lyttle (photo bottom right) score 16 points and fellow senior Michael Woods (photo left) scored a career-high 14 points to lead the Little Giants in Wabash's 90-59 victory over Oberlin in the opening game of the 2005-06 North Coast Athletic Conference basketball season Saturday afternoon at Chadwick Court.
Lyttle went 7-for-10 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory. Three other Wabash players joined Lyttle and Woods in reaching double figures in scoring for the afternoon. Sophomore Andrew Zimmer added 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Kyle Medeiros and Gary Simkus each added 10 points.
(Check out photos from the game by viewing the photo album.)
The two teams battled early, exchanging the lead nine times before a layup by Simkus put the Little Giants in front 14-13. Wabash went on an 8-0 scoring run over the next three minutes to jump in front by nine. The Yeomen would cut the lead to seven three times before a Simkus three-pointer and free throws by Earl Rooks made it a 34-22 contest. Zimmer scored a three-point play on a layup and free throw to give the Little Giants a 13-point advantage, their biggest of the half. Wabash guard Jimmy Owens answered a five-point run on a basket by Quinton Spencer and a three by Matt Godwin to give the Little Giants the 39-29 halftime edge.
The second half was all Wabash. The Little Giants opened the period with a basket Medeiros, who then stole an entry pass in the lane and found Woods wide open for layup to start an 11-2 scoring run. Wabash forced 11 turnovers in the second period, scoring 25 points in the transition from defense to offense. The Little Giants finished with 16 assists and 15 steals while committing only 14 turnovers. Wabash forced 26 turnovers defensively.
Wabash opens conference play with a win for the fourth consecutive season. The only conference-opening loss for the Little Giants in NCAC play came against Earlham in the 2000-01 season. The Little Giants went on to finish fifth, its worst finish in league play, and eventually lost in the opening game of the NCAC tournament. Wabash has never finished lower than fourth in the five previous times it has opened the NCAC season with a win.
The Little Giants (4-3, 1-0 NCAC) will play Tri-State next Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Chadwick Court.
Sports home page photo: Andrew Zimmer looks for an open Wabash player while being double-teamed by Oberlin.