Joe Nixon scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the first half to help the Tigers to as much as a 16-point lead. (photo: Marilyn Culler)

Box score and play-by-play

TERRE HAUTE, IND. - The Tigers shot just 15 percent in the second half and watched a 16-point lead disappear into a 60-56 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference loss at Rose-Hulman.

DePauw played a solid first half and scored eight straight near the end of the opening 20 minutes in building a 16-point margin at 38-22. That lead was 38-24 at the break as Joe Nixon (13) and Joe Ringger (12) combined for 25 points and the Tigers held a 19-7 advantage on the boards.

Clint Ferguson's basket with 14:25 left got the DePauw lead to single-digits for good. DePauw still held a 48-39 lead after Matt Kleymeyer's three-point play with 8:23 left. 

Rose-Hulman scored the next six points with the last four coming on a pair of Jimmy Kosieniak baskets to cut the gap to 48-45 with 6:21 left. Twice the Engineers closed to within one before Joe Ringger hit a pair of free throws with 2:26 left to make it 54-51.

The Engineers, however, scored the next seven points with Ryan Harris giving them the lead, 56-54, on a layup with just 47 seconds left. Harris then blocked field goal tries by Ringger and Nixon and the Tigers missed a three-pointer before Harris grabbed the rebound. 

Senior Dave Gifford on a first half drive. (photo: Marilyn Culler)

T.J. Holmes buried a couple of free throws with 22 seconds left to make it 58-54. Nixon hit a layup with 12 seconds remaining to make it 58-56, but Ferguson made both of his free throws with six seconds left to put the game away.

DePauw made just five of their 33 field goal tries in the second half, while the Engineers connected on 48 percent from the field and 16 of 18 free throws.

Nixon led the Tigers with 19 followed by Ringger with 16 and Mike Howland with 10. Todd Humerickhouse grabbed a game and career-high 11 rebounds. DePauw outrebounded Rose-Hulman 38-30 and hauled down 19 offensive rebounds. Ferguson paced the Engineers with 19 followed by Kosieniak with 16 and Chris Unton with 10.

The Tigers travel to Oberlin for a Monday, January 22 game with the Yeomen at 2 p.m.