Wabash hit only 3-of-8 free throws in the opening period, but finished 14-of-15 from the stripe in the second half to earn its 16th win of the season. The Little Giants canned 6-of-7 charity tosses during the final five-minute run to earn the trip to the semifinals.
Neither team could take a big advantage at any point in the game. Wabash led by six early only to see the Battling Bishops tie the game at 14-14. Ohio Wesleyan led by as many as seven points with three minutes left in the opening half when Wabash went on the attack. Two free throws by Matt Storm (Anderson, IN/Lapel) cut the Bishops' lead to five. A jumper by Chris Waters (Gary, IN/Calumet) after a missed shot by OWU made it a 28-25 contest. Brady Claxton (Shelbyville, IN/Shelbyville) capitalized on a turnover by canning a shot in the lane with make it a one-point game. Storm erased that lead just one minute later with a three-point bomb to give Wabash a 30-28 lead. OWU's Travis Schwab answered with a three of his own to end the 9-0 Wabash run, looking to send the Bishops to the locker room with the lead.
Storm had other ideas, however. Ohio Wesleyan grabbed the rebound after missed three by Wabash with three seconds left. Storm stole the ball and fired an off-balance three that slammed off the backboard and into the basket, giving Wabash a 33-31 halftime advantage.
Both teams kept the game close in the second half, the biggest lead coming at 17:14 when Ohio Wesleyan went in front 44-40. Wabash tied it three minutes later on a jumper by Joe DesJean (Indianapolis, IN/Perry Meridian) and free throws by Claxton drew the Little Giants even again.
Wabash eventually went back in front by three with five minutes left in the game, only to see Schwab hit a three-point-play on a jumper and a free throw to tie the game at 59-59, setting up the run by the Little Giants.
Wabash got a free throw from Claxton and a three-point-play of its own from DesJean to go in front 63-59. A Bishops' layup made it a two-point game with 27 seconds left. But an outlet pass to Waters led to a wide-open layup with 18 seconds left, then a turnover by OWU and a foul sent Claxton to the free throw line for the game-clinching charity tosses. Two final free throws by Waters answered the final two Bishops' points, sending Wabash to Wooster, Ohio on Friday night to face the host Fighting Scots.
DesJean finished with 21 to lead Wabash. He added three key blocked shots, two coming in the final five minutes of the game to help preserve the win. Claxton added 16 points, while Storm finished with 10. Schwab led Ohio Wesleyan with 20 points. Brandon Cole finished with 11.
Wabash will meet Wooster in the semifinals on Friday night at 7:45 p.m.