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TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- Wabash College relied on a strong defensive effort to top Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 58-44 in a matchup of two previously undefeated men's basketball teams on Wednesday night.
Derek Bailey led the Wabash offensive attack with a game-high 26 points on 10-12 from the free throw line and four three-pointers. Nick Curosh contributed a game-high 12 rebounds.
Sophomores James Pillischafske (Louisville, Ky./Male) and Julian Strickland (Indianapolis/Pike) reached double figures to lead the Rose-Hulman offense.
Pillischafske scored 14 points on a trio of three-pointers, and Strickland scored 10 points with four rebounds for the Engineers.
Sophomore Nate Gissentanner (Conyers, Ga./Rockdale County) added nine points and a team-high five rebounds. Junior Jon Gerken (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) pitched in with six points, three rebounds and two steals.
Wabash jumped out to a 12-5 lead early in the first half, before four points from Strickland and a score by Gerken brought the Engineers with 12-11 at the 8:02 mark. Wabash relied on a 7-2 run over the next six minutes to take a 21-16 lead into the break.
In the second half, Wabash earned a nine-point lead at 32-23, before Pillischafske scored two free throws and hit a three-pointer to make Rose-Hulman's deficit just 32-28. Wabash answered with a 16-2 run over the next eight minutes to secure the win.
Wabash improved to 5-0 on the season and is ranked No. 26 nationally by d3hoops.com. Rose-Hulman stands 4-1 overall and opens the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference season at Defiance on Saturday at 3 p.m.