Junior guard Chase Haltom poured in 23 points Saturday afternoon at Kenyon, but his output could not lead Wabash to a victory. The Little Giants dropped their 2008-09 North Coast Athletic Conference season-opener 70-55 to the Lords.
The 23-point effort tied Haltom's career mark, made against Allegheny during his freshman season. Just four days after going scoreless at DePauw, the 5-10 guard went 4-of-8 from the three-point arc while shooting 5-of-14 from the field. He was nearly perfect from the free line, connecting on nine out of ten shots.
Haltom (right) had a third of the Little Giants' made baskets. Wabash struggled from the field for the second consecutive game, hitting only 15-of-55 shots for 27.3 percent.
The poor shooting by Wabash helped Kenyon take an early 9-1 lead before Wabash would trim the advantage to six with a Wes Smith jumper just past the midway point of the period. The basket would be the only points from the field for Smith in the contest, who was 1-of-7 for the game from the field and finished with four points.
Brian Maloney answered a quick Kenyon basket before freshman Derek Bailey's jumper cut the lead to four points with 5:40 left in the first half. The Lord would push their edge back to seven, eventually taking a six-point lead at the intermission.
Wabash used a 10-5 run at the start of the second half, capped by an Aaron Brock three-pointer, to get to within a point of the Lords. Kenyon responded with ten straight points to jump in front 45-34. The Little Giants would get back to within in eight on a Haltom trey to end the run, but would get no closer before falling by 15.
Bailey was the only other Wabash player to reach double figures, scoring a career-best 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting. JT Knight recorded his second consecutive double-double for Kenyon, leading the Lords (5-1, 1-0 NCAC) with 20 points and 11 boards. Bryan Yelvington added 16 points, while Anthony Chun came off the bench to score 15. Dave Knapke added 10 points for Kenyon.
The Little Giants were battered on the boards, outrebounded by Kenyon 48-26. Maloney grabbed eight to pace Wabash. Yelvington's 11 rebounds were tops among Kenyon players.
Wabash (2-3, 0-1 NCAC) will look to snap its two-game losing streak this weekend against St. Joseph Calumet in the second game of the Pete Thorn Invitational Friday night at Chadwick Court. Marian College and IU Southest tipoff at 6 p.m. in the opener.