TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology won its second consecutive game entering the Holiday Break with a 76-64 home victory over in-state rival Wabash College on Tuesday night at Hulbert Arena.
Craig McGee paced five Rose-Hulman players in double figures with a near triple-double of 22 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. His hot shooting propelled a strong second half, as McGee scored 18 points in the final 20 minutes.
Jacob Back scored a career-high 12 points as part of the balanced scoring effort on 5-6 from the field. Eli Combs also had 12 points.
Max Chaplin came off the bench with a perfect 3-3 from three-point range and 10 points. John Czarnecki rounded out the double figures scorers with 10 points.
The Fightin' Engineers shot 46% from the field and relied on a strong defensive effort to hold Wabash to just 32%. The Little Giants also finished 8-32 from three-point range for 25%. Jack Davidson scored 18 points for Wabash, with Harrison Hallstrom and Kellen Schreiber reaching double figures with 13 and 10 points.
Rose-Hulman led 32-29 at the half after holding Wabash to just 8-23 from the field. The Fightin' Engineers relied on a critical 11-1 run over a three-minute span late in the second half to turn a 53-51 lead into a 64-62 advantage.
McGee capped the run with a three-pointer and a rebound into a transition layup at the 5:07 mark. Wabash could not close within eight points the rest of the way.
Rose-Hulman improved to 4-6 with its second straight win, while Wabash stands at 6-4. The Fightin' Engineers host Hanover College in HCAC action on Saturday January 4.