By Andrew Bell

Last Saturday, Feb. 8, The College of Wooster reignited their interstate rivalry against the Wabash Little Giants. This game was a must-win for the Scots, who were sitting in third place in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). A loss would drop them behind Ohio Wesleyan in the rankings, and they hadn’t beaten Wabash since 2022. Wabash gained the first possession and delivered a 6-0 run before Ashton Price ’25 put Wooster on the board. Both teams engaged in physical, defensive basketball as Isaiah Johnson ’26 hit a deep 3-pointer. An offensive foul from Wabash led to a media timeout with Wooster trailing 11-5.

Johnson swished another 3-pointer and Breckman Oakley ’28 backed down his defender for a lay-in. Oakley then stole the ball and assisted Johnson on a reverse layup. Wabash responded with inside baskets and led 15-12 at the under-12 media timeout.

Price ended Wooster’s scoring drought with a floater, followed by a 6-point run from Oakley to take a tight lead, 19-20. Oakley continued his strong play, securing rebounds and scoring on fast breaks. Price contributed on the defensive side of the court and drew a tough charge. EJ Kapihe ’26 and JJ Cline ’25 added crucial baskets, keeping the Scots just ahead of their competitors. Kapihe continued to drive, dropping a 3-pointer that gave Wooster a 27-25 lead at the under-4 media timeout.

Jamir Billings ’25 kept up the defensive intensity with a steal. Price followed with a putback and another driving layup. The Scots forced a turnover with 31.4 seconds left in the half. Wooster ended the half with a reverse layup from Oakley and a block and defensive rebound from Johnson. Wooster led 33-28 at the break.

The Scots started the half with a long offensive drive capped off by two Price free throws. Wabash answered in kind, going on a 6-0 run. The game became increasingly physical and defensive as multiple scrums for the ball ensued. Cox-Holloway broke the defensive standoff with a 3-pointer. Wooster extended their lead to 38-32.

Despite Price scoring off an inbound play, Wabash mounted a scoring run to tie the game at 40. Wabash briefly took the lead with free throws, but Johnson’s 3-pointer placed Wooster on top. Oakley followed with a block on Wabash’s ensuing drive, which led to a Billings 3-pointer and a 4-point lead for Wooster, 46-42.

Wooster’s defense fueled their offense as Billings hit a deep 3 and Price added a reverse layup. Everett was fouled on a rebound and hit a pair of free throws. He contributed to the offense again by setting a screen and a deep score for Price. Wooster extended their lead to 56-46 at the under-12 timeout.

Billings drained another 3, and Oakley hit a mid-range jumper coming out of the timeout. Wabash kept fighting, but Wooster maintained their lead, 61-53. The defensive battle continued until Wabash hit free throws and a clutch 3, cutting the lead to 4 with just over a minute left.

Despite the mounting pressure, the Scots were able to seal the game through their defensive play. Billings came up with a crucial steal and layup, while Everett blocked another shot. Billings hit a final free throw to ice the game. Wooster beat Wabash, 66-61.

“I’m excited for our guys because it means a lot to them,” head coach Doug Cline said. “[Wabash] have been a nemesis of ours … A lot of it comes down to the hustle plays. We won all of those hustle plays and loose ball plays.” 

Despite the victory, the Scots were still focused on their goals for the rest of the season. “We are going to build off this [win],” said Johnson. “We have a week until OWU [Ohio Wesleyan], so we will try and get better every day.”

Wooster will celebrate their seniors in their upcoming matchup against Ohio Wesleyan at home this Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.