GRANVILLE, Ohio — There will not be a fourth-straight trip to the NCAA D3 national tournament for Wabash, as they fell to Wooster 73-57 in the NCAC semifinals.
The streak ends at three, and as always, it was Wooster who had to be pushed aside. The Little Giants defeated the Fighting Scots each of the last three years. It was not to be at Livington Gymnasium this time.
The Little Giants season comes to an end at 17-9 overall, after a second-place finish in the regular season to Denison. Wooster moves to 21-6 and advances to the conference tournament championship game.
The loss also brings to a close two Wabash careers, as Vinny Buccilla and Noah Hupmann suited up for the last time.
“Give Wooster a lot of credit,” Giants coach Kyle Brumett said. “They are a really athletic, physical defensive team. They turned us over, and then they didn’t turn it over. They pressured us, they were strong to and with the ball, and in this day and age, you have to make a bunch of threes, and that didn’t happen.”
The stats sheet shows the numbers in the loss for the Little Giants.
After a 33-all first half, shots just would not fall for Wabash. They were 2-of-13 from long range in the second half and finished with a 21% mark from deep, the second-lowest of the season.
They were 32% from the field in the second half and finished at 36% for the game. Even the free throws faltered down the stretch, as they were 1-of-5 late from the line.
The Fighting Scots were 46% from deep in just the second half, as a flurry of five triples early were the backbone of a 26-14 run that broke the game open.
There were six ties and five lead changes in the first half, as Wooster broke out first, but Wabash answered with an 11-0 run.
There was only one lead change in the second half. It came early, and the Fighting Scots never gave it back.
“We had long stretches in both halves where we missed a lot of open shots,” Brumett noted, “and some of them were really good open shots. We didn’t shoot well from three at Wooster (a road loss) either. We just didn’t do enough of the things that we usually do well that usually gives us a chance to win.”
Along with shots not falling, Wooster forced the Little Giants into 14 turnovers, and then scored 21 points as a result.
“We were leading the nation in fewest turnovers (8.6), and we have 14,” Brumett continued. “Our assists were down because of shots not falling, and their assist number was high. We turned it over twice as many times as they did. We really played into some of their strengths. They also had eight second-chance points in the second half. Our first-half free throw advantage wasn’t there in the second. Give them a lot of credit.
The Little Giants were led in scoring by Buccilla, as the senior led his team in scoring for the 14th time this season. He had 19. He had three of the five Wabash three-pointers.
Josh Whack had 13 and Rich Brooks added 11.
Hupmann was game-best with 13 rebounds and three blocks. The 7-2 tower finishes the season leading the nation with 96 blocks, which sets a new school record. He has 170 rejections in his two seasons at Wabash, second-most for a career.
“Wabash has become home for Noah,” Brumett said. “He fits here; he belongs here. Our players made him such a part of the team, and I’m so proud of the team for that. He is an elite player, and I’ve had so much fun coaching him these two years. He is so much more than the shot blocker. His effort, his toughness, the mindset he brought every day. He has played so many minutes this season. It has been such a pleasure to get him here and very rewarding for both him and us.”
It will likely only be a matter of time before Wabash puts Buccilla into their Hall of Fame.
The Indy native was a part of the Final Four team and brought every ounce of leadership that the Final Four squad taught him to work every day.
He finished with 86 wins, 114 games started. Both are second-most ever. He finished sixth in starts, seventh in three-pointers made, 12th in steals, 18th in assists and 19th in scoring. He also played in the national tournament three times; a feat accomplished by very few Wabash hoopsters.
“It feels like Vinny has been here forever,” Brumett said. “He’s become the face of the franchise this season and has been a huge part of one of the greatest eras in Wabash basketball history. It’ll be hard to think about doing it without him. I’ve enjoyed him so much. He’s such a hard worker and such a great player, but he’s also such a good young man. He will be the next Wabash Man to go on and do great things.”
The captain took a minute from the disappointment of the loss to share a senior’s final thought.
“Man, it stings,” Buccilla said, “but I know there are no regrets. Every win and every loss has a meaning somewhere and some place. This program, this place, means so much to me. It’s almost impossible to understand until you get here, but then the great teammates, the great coaches, the great fans, all become part of you forever. The practices and film sessions can sometimes get rugged, but that’s what made us better and made us better teammates. The bus rides, the meals, everything, has helped put Wabash on the basketball map. It’s hard to win, and I like to think we worked hard to win. The guys who taught me said I had to teach the next guys, and I hope I have a little. I’ll appreciate every minute for the rest of my life.”
The Fighting Scots will take on regular-season champions Denison in the NCAC finals on Saturday afternoon, with the winner earning the conference automatic bid to the national tournament.
