At 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, Neal Fieldhouse was the loudest it’s been in over a year.
The men’s basketball team wasn’t just playing—they were waging war against Wabash College. In particular, junior guard Luke Lattner was on fire: he beat DePauw’s single game school record, which was previously held by Tom McCormick in 1969. McCormick had 45 points. Lattner had 55.
“It was insane,” said sophomore forward Cris Burrough, who was the second highest scorer for DePauw with 21 points. “The kid was unconscious, he made some great plays."
Lattner was also killing it on the boards, ripping down 10 rebounds for a double double.
“It's always awesome watching somebody in a zone like that,” said sophomore guard Mason Hankins, who contributed 10 points to the scoreboard. “Luke knew he was in the zone and so did everyone else in the gym, especially Wabash.”
Lattner also unseated the past record holder for North Coast Athletic Conference single game scoring, surpassing Scott Tedder's 1987 50-point record.
“I was really proud of that man last night," said junior guard Nate Jahn, who has played with Lattner for three years now. "55 points is no joke. He's a really good player, but humble at the same time.”
DePauw led most of the game. Starting center and sophomore Jack VanderMerkt had a dunk in the first half that kicked off a run by the Tigers. “The dunk was hype,” VanderMerkt said. “It was cool to see the crowed get pumped up and get us on a run early in the half.”
VanderMerkt fouled out with 2:30 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Tigers had trouble closing the game without him.
“It didn't feel good to have to sit during the overtimes but it was great to see guys step up and contribute who normally don't get that chance in those situations,” he said.
Despite the Tigers' seven-point lead at that time, Wabash was able to tie the game and send it to overtime.
The first of three.
Johnny Jager, Wabash’s top scorer of the night, kept the Little Giants in the game with an excellent shooting display, but Lattner was on a hot streak. Thanks to a plethora of free throws and a three, Lattner kept the team in the game through two overtimes, especially after senior Mark Johnson also fouled out with four minutes left in the second overtime.
By the beginning of triple overtime, the student section had started to play telephone: “If we win we’re storming the court” was being whispered across the crowd.
With 1:29 left in triple overtime, junior Bradley Fey hit the biggest 3-pointer of the night to break the 107-107 tie.
“I hit a big shot down the stretch when we kind of needed a basket,” Fey said.
Lattner closed the game with a couple free throws and when the buzzer hit zero, the biggest student crowd the basketball team has had all year rushed onto the court—you would have thought they had just won the National Championship.
“The best part of beating Wabash was the court storming at the end,” Jahn said. “It was unexpected. It's always fun when the students can come out and support the boys.”
“The locker room [afterwards] was nuts,” Fey said. “I think everyone in the room knew how special that win was.”
This season hasn’t been the best in DePauw’s history, but that made this game that much sweeter.
“It was much needed,” Hankins said. “It's been a disappointing season but to end like that makes it all worth it. Especially sending the seniors out with a win against Wabash at home.”
DePauw concludes its season this Saturday at Ohio Wesleyan.