Wabash's Kyle Aiton and Kasey Oetting got hot in the second half, helping the Little Giants grind out a 66-62 victory over Denison on Saturday afternoon in Granville.

Neither team led by more than five points in the opening 20 minutes of Saturday's North Coast Athletic Conference matchup. Wabash took a four-point lead following an Austin Burton three at 17:10, while Denison's biggest first-half advantage was five following back-to-back David Meurer layups. Matthew Bauer provided the game-tying and go-ahead points at the free throw line which sent Denison into the half with a 25-24 edge.

Foul trouble plagued two of Denison's top players as Bret Woolard and Briggs King were limited to 10 and six first-half minutes, respectively. Two of DU's top scorers produced just four combined points in the first half.

The Big Red started to build on their one-point lead in the early stages of the second period. The duo of Woolard and King made an early impact, scoring seven of DU's first nine points. Denison grabbed its largest lead of the game when Meurer picked off a Zack Patton pass and converted it into points. The sophomore's layup put Denison up 40-33 with 14:34 on the clock.

Following a two minute scoring drought, Oetting single handedly put the Little Giants back in front with points on three-straight possessions. The senior guard hit two treys in back-to-back possessions and put Wabash back in front with a layup.

Bret Woolard knocked down a jumper in the paint to regain a one-point lead, but eight-straight points by the previously ice cold Aiton put the visiting team ahead 49-44. After starting the game 2-for-12, Aiton converted five-straight attempts, including back-to-back threes and a layup over the course of a 72 seconds. The two 8-0 spurts by Oetting and Aiton were part of a 27-7 run that gave the Little Giants a 60-47 lead with 3:50 to play.

The Big Red hit three 3-pointers and went 4-for-4 at the charity stripe over the final 90 seconds to get within striking distance. However, Wabash hit 6-of-10 attempts at the foul line to hold on for the four-point win.

Despite playing a season-low 16 minutes, King led Denison with 14 points and six rebounds. Meurer, Bauer and John Cheng provided 10 points each. Cheng went 3-for-3 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and 2-for-2 at the free throw line. Darius White dished out four assists, while Bauer, Meurer and Patrick Keller pulled down four boards apiece.

Aiton led all scorers with 19 points, which included a 5-for-6 performance down the stretch. Oetting had 13 points, three assists and two steals, while Burton chipped in 10 tallies and three assists. Daniel Scofield grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, which included eight offensive boards.

Denison falls to 8-5 overall and 2-4 in the NCAC, while Wabash improves to 9-4 and 4-2 in league play. The Big Red returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Gambier for a conference clash with rival Kenyon. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.