Two three-pointers by freshman Chase Haltom ended an 11-1 by Denison University to power the Wabash basketball team past the Big Red 63-53 Saturday night at Chadwick Court.
The freshman guard drained back-to-back bombs with 5:38 left in the contest after the Little Giants watched a 21-point lead drop to 11 before holding on to give Wabash its fifth victory in six games. The Little Giants also remained tied for fourth in the North Coast Athletic Conference, evening their league mark at 6-6 while improving to 9-12 for the season.
Wabash looked inside early in the contest, finding junior forward Andrew Zimmer over and over. Zimmer hit 9-of-10 shots from the field in the first half, scoring 19 points in the opening period. Included in that total was his only three-point attempt of the game, a 20-footer that went through the basket just ahead of the halftime buzzer to put Wabash in front 42-24 at halftime.
Just when it looked like Wabash could cruise in the second half, the Big Red began chipping away at the lead. Denison outscored the Little Giants 16-9 over the first 13-1/2 minutes of the final period, getting to within 11 points of Wabash. Haltom brought that streak to an end with a three-pointer, then scored again from behind the arc to account for nearly half of the team's second period points. Haltom finished the game with 14 points, including four three-point baskets.
Denison would never get closer than 11 points over the final five minutes, giving the Little Giants their longest winning streak of the season at three games.
Zimmer led both teams with 25 points. He and Ryan Stephens each tallied seven rebounds. Dan Hodgkinson scored 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Hodgkinson shot just 5-of-14 from the field, but took more free throws (8-of-15) than the entire Wabash team (7-of-10).
The Little Giants will try to make it four in a row Wednesday night when Wabash travels to Earlham College for an 8 p.m. tipoff.