Box Score

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein University women’s basketball team (6-10, 2-7 OAC) fell victim to a late three-pointer and suffered a 73-71 loss to visiting Wilmington College (6-9, 3-5 OAC) Saturday evening in the Rike Center.

Wilmington held an early 7-6 lead after four minutes, but the Cardinals found a spark off the bench in sophomore Hannah Day, who came in to score nine points less than two minutes to vault Otterbein ahead 18-9.

The Quakers hung tough and went on an 11-0 run to spring on top 20-18, but the game remained close and Otterbein took a 36-32 lead into the break.

Wilmington rebounded in the early stages of the second half to take a 46-45 lead, but the see-saw battle remained as Otterbein found themselves up 61-59 with 6:34 to go after a free-throw from sophomore Chelsea Cannon.

The Quakers clung to a four-point lead with 2:17 showing on the clock, but Kristi Kotterman converted two attempts at the foul line and Day found Sarah Esterkamp under the hoop to tie the game at 68-68 with a minute remaining.

Wilmington went ahead by two on its ensuing possession, but an old-fashioned three point play from Kotterman on the other end put the Cards ahead 71-70 with 19 seconds to go.

The Quakers inbounded from under their own hoop after a deadball with six seconds left, and Olivia Waters would connect on a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds remaining.

Day scored 16 points to lead four Cardinals in double-figures. Shea McCoy finished with 15 points while Kotterman and Esterkamp each scored ten.

Waters led all scorers with 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while Brianna Peters recorded a double-double with 17 points and ten caroms.

Otterbein has the middle of the week off before traveling to play Mount Union on Saturday, Jan. 22. Tip-off from Alliance is set for 2 p.m.

The Purple Raiders escaped Westerville with a 68-64 victory back on Dec. 14.