Wabash survived its worst three-point shooting effort of the season and an incredibly physical game to score a 58-49 win over Kenyon in North Coast Athletic Conference basketball action Saturday afternoon. The victory avenges a one-point loss at Kenyon earlier in the season.
The Little Giants shot 3-of-16 for 18.8 percent from beyond the arc for the game after starting the game missing all eight three-point attempts in the opening period. Twice Little Giant players had to be sent to the bench because of blood on their uniform or a wound that had been opened by contact on the floor.
The game featured 12 lead changes and seven ties and was plagued with 42 total turnovers --- more than the total of made baskets by both teams. Keyon hit 17 shots while committing 23 turnovers, while Wabash his 20 baskets with 19 turnovers. (View photos from the game.)
Gary Simkus scored an easy basket inside to open the game before Bryan Yelvington answered with a three at the other end of the floor. The lead bounced back and forth between the two teams before Kenyon moved in front by three on a layup by Josh Klinger. Baskets by Andrew Zimmer and Brian Maloney gave Wabash the lead with 7:14 left in the first half. After trading the lead over the next four minutes, a Yelvington three-pointer with 49 seconds remaining gave Kenyon a 23-20 lead and the Kenyon junior 16 first-half points. The Lords scored the last points of the half on a put-back basket by Dave Knapke for a 25-20 advantage at halftime.
Kenyon took its biggest lead of the game 2-1/2 minutes into the second half on another Yelvington basket for a 29-23 score. Chase Haltom brought the Little Giants to within three when he connected on the first trey of the game for Wabash with 16:19 to play. A layup by Wes Smith trimmed the score to 29-28 in favor of Kenyon and jump-started the freshman guard's offensive efforts.
Smith brought the crowd to its feet with a steal and dunk to give the Little Giants a 30-29 lead. After Knapke tied the game with a free throw, it was Smith who put on another show. The freshman timed his jump perfectly on a missed jumper by Zimmer, soaring toward the basket to grab the rebound and dunking it through the hoop for his tenth point of the game.
The Little Giants would take a four-point lead before Kenyon erased it once again with a three-point play by Kodey Haddox and another free throw by Knapke. Zimmer eventually gave Wabash a 44-43 edge with 5:44, a lead the Little Giants would not relinquish. A 9-2 run over the next two minutes gave Wabash a cushion down the stretch before eventually claiming the nine-point victory.
Zimmer scored 15 points and grabbd 10 rebounds to pace the Wabash effort. Smith finished with 11 points and three steals, moving him into a tie for fourth with Houston Mills '85 and Josh Estelle '00 on the Wabash single-season steals list with 49.
Yelvington finished with 20 points for Kenyon (8-11, 6-4 NCAC). Knapke added 12, while Haddox had 10.
Wabash (13-6, 7-3 NCAC) moves a game ahead of the Lords in the NCAC standings, and could move into a tie for third with an Ohio Wesleyan loss at Wooster. The Little Giants travel to OWU Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. contest before heading to Wooster Saturday afternoon.
Photos - (top left) Senior Gary Simkus scored six points in the Little Giants' nine-point win over Kenyon Saturday afternoon.
(Bottom right) Andrew Zimmer tallied his 11th career double-double and sixth of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Wabash victory.