The Wabash College basketball team needed every second of Wednesday evening's home battle against DePauw University. The Little Giants stole the final inbound pass with three-tenths of a second on the game clock to survive in a 62-61 victory over the visiting Tigers in the opening North Coast Athletic Conference contest for both teams.
 
Wabash (5-2, 1-0 NCAC) held a six-point lead at 62-56 with 1:03 remaining in the contest before DePauw (3-3, 0-1 NCAC) mounted a final rally. The Tigers fouled Wabash players three times in the last minute, but the Little Giants came up empty at the stripe. Grant Niego scored a jumper in the paint and connected on a free throw for a three-point play with 30 seconds left on the clock to trim the lead to three points. Wabash missed a second free throw try before Niego struck again with 18 seconds left. His driving layup made it a one-point game with the ball in the hands of the Little Giants.
 
Wabash returned to the line for the third time with five seconds on the game clock, but the third consecutive miss gave the Tigers one chance for a last shot. Edreece Redmond raced behind the Tiger guard, bringing the ball up the floor, knocking it away to force an inbound play in front of the DePauw bench. The Tigers fired a pass under the basket, but Randy Kelley stepped in front of the key, knocking the ball out of bounds with three-tenths of a second remaining.
 
The Tigers had one more inbound opportunity under the basket for a tip-in chance. Senior Ahmoni Jones guarded the inbound attempt and snared the pass to end a final last-ditch effort by DePauw.
 
Wabash trailed only twice in the game, both in the first four minutes of the contest. DePauw scored the game's opening basket. Jones responded with a three-pointer to put the Little Giants in front 3-2. Wabash connected on 13 of 33 three-point tries for the game for 39.4 percent.
 
Redmond boosted the lead to four points by hitting three free throws. DePauw responded with a three-pointer from Brady Kunka to make it a one-point game. Sam Comer scored two of his seven points to push the Wabash lead to 8-5. Sam Jacobs scored for DePauw to cut the lead to one point before another basket from Niego put the Tigers up 9-8 with 16:37 on the first-half clock. Kelley put Wabash back in front with one of his three three-point baskets in the game.
 
The two teams traded points over the next 12 minutes until a pair of Jones free throws and a basket by Comer boosted the Wabash lead to six points at 31-25. DePauw got a three-point basket, one of only three long-range baskets by the Tigers on the evening. DePauw finished 3 of 15 from three-point range for the game. Jones provided a final three-point basket in the first half to give the Little Giants a 34-28 lead at the break.
 
Redmond started the second half with another three-point basket as part of his team-best 17-point effort. Redmond finished 5 of 12 from the field and hit four three-point shots on nine long-range attempts. The Tigers battled back, scoring the next seven points to trim the lead to 37-35. Wabash never led by more than four points until a Comer triple with 5:43 remaining put the Little Giants up 54-49. Kelley followed with another three-pointer to provide an eight-point lead with 5:04 on the game clock.
 
The Tiger cut into the lead again, getting as close as three points with 1:54 on the clock on a Jacobs two-pointer. Redmond lifted the lead back to five points with his final basket of the contest. Two free throws from Reph Stevenson cut the lead to 59-56 with 1:03 on the clock. Jones answered with a last three-pointer to boost the lead to six at 62-56 to set up the final frantic minute of action.
 
Wabash shot 22 of 55 from the field for the game for 40 percent. The Little Giants were perfect from the free throw line until the final three misses in the last minute to finish 7 of 10 for the game.
 
Redmond led Wabash in scoring with 17 points. Kelley matched his career-high scoring total with 13 points, and Jones finished with 11 points. The Little Giants forced eight DePauw turnovers that led to five Wabash points. DePauw controlled the boards and the paint. The Tigers outrebounded Wabash 42-34 and outscored the Little Giants in the paint 36-16.
 
Niego led DePauw with 19 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds, matching the nine-rebound effort by Stevenson. Sam Jacobs scored 14 points for the Tigers. Kunka added 12 points, and Stevenson chipped in with 10 points.
 
Wabash continues conference play Saturday with a trip to Oberlin College for a 2 p.m. tip.
 
Game Notes
» Wabash lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down 13 treys in the game.
» The Little Giants held the Tigers to 40 percent shooting from the field.
» Wabash never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Wabash had a great day defensively, holding DePauw to 20 percent from three-point range on 15 attempts.
» Wabash turned the ball over six times while dishing out 12 assists.
» Wabash cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting ten offensive boards in the game.
» Edreece Redmond led the Little Giants with 17 points.
» Wabash got a team-high seven rebounds from Ahmoni Jones.