A decisive early surge after halftime and steady execution at the free-throw line down the stretch lifted Wabash to a 72–66 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) victory over the College of Wooster on Saturday, February 7, at Chadwick Court, as the Little Giants completed a season sweep of the Fighting Scots and continued their recent dominance in the series.
The win improved Wabash to 14–7 overall and 8–4 in conference play, while Wooster fell to 7–15 overall and 4–9 in the NCAC. With the victory, the Little Giants have now won 11 of the last 14 meetings between the two programs, including nine straight at home.
The opening half unfolded as a tightly contested battle, with both teams trading momentum and neither able to seize sustained control. Wooster struck first, taking a 9–6 lead behind early baskets from EJ Kapihe and Quincy Jones. Wabash answered quickly, piecing together an 8–2 run fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Rich Brooks ’26 and a smooth turnaround jumper by Nate Matelic ’27 to grab an 18–15 advantage with 8:59 remaining.
The Scots countered with a push inside, as Isaac Roeder and Tommy Vaughn Jr. scored in the paint to briefly reclaim the lead, but Wabash closed the half with confidence and composure. Luke Ellspermann ’29 knocked down a three, Matelic followed with a pull-up jumper, and the Little Giants punctuated the final seconds when Matelic drained a three-pointer with four seconds left, sending Wabash into the locker room up 32–28.
Any uncertainty vanished early in the second half as Wabash opened the second half with a decisive 10–0 run that shifted the tone of the game. Brooks sparked the surge with a driving layup and a fast break three-pointer, while Ellspermann added a pair of baskets in the lane. Brooks capped the run by converting two free throws after drawing a shooting foul, pushing the lead to 42–28 less than three minutes into the half.
“In the first half, we had to adjust to them playing more zone than our first matchup,” said Brooks. “After we got going a little bit in the second half, we were able to pick the zone apart a little more. When they went to man, we took advantage of our mismatches and made the right plays.”
Wooster, however, refused to fold. Vaughn and Jaiden Cox-Holloway ignited a 6–0 response midway through the half, trimming the deficit to single digits. The Scots continued to apply pressure behind Roeder’s interior scoring and Jones’ trips to the free-throw line. With under three minutes remaining, Wooster cut the margin to 62–65 courtesy of free throws by Kapihe and then narrowed the gap to a single point on a driving layup by Cox-Holloway with 41 seconds left, setting up a tense finish.
In the game’s defining moment, Matelic delivered when Wabash needed it most. He attacked the rim for a crucial layup with 24 seconds remaining, drew a foul and calmly converted the ensuing free throw to extend the lead to four. After Wooster once again closed within two, Brooks and Ellspermann sealed the outcome at the free throw line, combining to go 5/6 in the final nine seconds.
Brooks led all scorers with 24 points on an efficient 8/12 shooting performance, including 3/6 from beyond the arc, while going a perfect 5/5 at the free-throw line. Ellspermann finished with 15 points and Matelic added 12.
Gavin Schippert ’26 recorded his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, becoming the 18th player in Wabash history to surpass the 500-rebound mark with 506 career boards after the conclusion of the Wooster game.
“Luke [Ellspermann] has been really consistent with his scoring and rebounding, and Rich Brooks is having an all-conference season,” said Head Basketball Coach Kyle Brumett. “Schippert and Whack are two of the most experienced players in the conference. That gives us four guys who we really need consistency out of, and for the most part, we have gotten it.”
The Little Giants followed up the win by hitting the road on Wednesday, February 11, to face the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops.
The game opened with early back and forth action, but midway through the half, Ohio Wesleyan started to create separation through strong perimeter shooting and dominant rebounding, keeping the Little Giants on their heels.
By the final minute of the half, the Bishops maintained control with steady execution. Their combination of outside shooting and defensive pressure allowed Ohio Wesleyan to carry a commanding 47–31 advantage going into the break.
The Little Giants slowly chipped away behind the scoring of Ellspermann and Brooks. Ellspermann continuously attacked the rack with physicality and Brooks drilled multiple deep threes to trim the large lead down to single digits. Schippert provided a major presence on the glass, fueling second chance opportunities that contributed to cutting the lead down to 68–61 with five minutes left to play.
Wabash continued to fight as their defensive intensity picked up late. Brooks recorded a steal and block and then Ellspermann converted a three-pointer in crunch time. Despite the late surge, clutch free throws by the Bishops sealed the game at 79–75 in their favor.
Wabash returns home on Saturday, February 14, where they will host the Kenyon Owls on Senior Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EST.