The victory came in the second game of the Northwest Mutual Financial Network 2001 Tipoff Classic at Hampden-Sydney, Virginia.
The Little Giants trailed by as many as seven points in the first half before tying the game at 36-36 on a layup by junior Kip Chase (Bedford, IN/Bedford North Lawrence). The game went to halftime tied at 42-42 before Wabash took over at the start of the final 20 minutes of play.
Sophomore Ryan Smith (Indianapolis, IN/Decatur Central) connected on three consecutive three-pointers to open the second half, giving the Little Giants a 53-49 lead. Wabash pushed the advantage up to 10 points on baskets by juniors Joe DesJean (Indianapolis, IN/Perry Meridian) and Brady Claxton (Shelbyville, IN/Shelbyville), capping the run on a three-pointer by Brendan O'Hara (Indianapolis, IN/Brebeuf Jesuit).
Walsh came back to tie the game with five minutes left in the contest before three-pointers by Claxton and Smith put Wabash up again. Free throws from junior Ryan Short (Indianapolis, IN/Perry Meridian), who just joined the team after another successful season on the football field for Wabash, kept the Little Giants in front before a dunk by DesJean on a pass from Short secured the win.
DesJean, who averaged a double-double last season, led the Little Giants with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Smith added a career-best 16 points along with Claxton's 16-point effort. Short was the fourth Little Giant player to hit double figures, scoring 11 points.
Wabash shot 47-percent from the field (27-58), and connected on 48-percent of its three-point attempts (11-23). The Little Giants outrebounded the Cavaliers, an NAIA team, 44-39.
Wabash (1-0) will play Hampden-Sydney on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the final game of the Classic. This will mark the first meeting between the two all-male schools on the basketball court.