The 2006-2007 Wabash basketball season got underway Friday night, but for Little Giant fans the youth of this year’s team showed early in a 57-50 loss to Rose-Hulman in the opening round of the Little Giant Tipoff Tournament.
Wabash committed 24 turnovers and hit only four three-pointers --- all in the second half --- while shooting just 36 percent (18-of-50) from the field for the game. Rose scored 29 points off the Little Giants' turnovers, compared to just 12 for Wabash.
The Little Giants took an early three-point lead and held it through the first ten minutes of the contest. A Gary Simkus jumper opened the scoring for Wabash, while a putback basket by freshman Aaron Brock held the advantage for the Little Giants with 13:58 left in the opening period. But Brian Bibb’s rebound and basket five minutes later to tie the game at 10-10. (View photos from Wabash's season-opening game.)
Bibb’s putback basket started an 8-1 run by the Fightin’ Engineers, eventually allowing Rose-Hulman to take a 28-17 halftime advantage. Rose made the most of 12 first half mistakes by the Little Giants, scoring 17 points off turnovers and converting 11 offensive rebounds into eight additional points.
Wabash fell behind by as many as 14 points in the opening minutes of the final period before closing to a nine-point deficit with five minutes to go on the first successful three-pointer of the game by sophomore Collin Smith. Two more treys by Chase Haltom cut the lead to six points in the final minute. Three free throws by the Engineers in the closing stretch combined with three more missed long-range shots placed Wabash in Saturday’s consolation game for only the second time since the Little Giant Tipoff Tournament’s inception in 1999.
Simkus battled through early foul trouble to lead the Little Giants in scoring with 15 points. Andrew Zimmer added 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Bibb finished with 14 points and nine rebounds to lead Rose-Hulman.
Wabash will play IU-South Bend --- 71-63 overtime victims of Aurora University in the first contest Friday night --- at 1 p.m. at Chadwick Court. Rose-Hulman and Aurora will meet in the championship game at 3 p.m.
Photo - Freshman Chase Haltom scored his first career point on this free throw attempt. He finished with eight points in his first collegiate basketball game.