WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein University women’s basketball team looks for a conference victory Wednesday, hosting Ohio Northern University in the Rike Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Both teams enter the contest looking to stop a two-game skid. Otterbein recently lost 67-53 at #18 Mount Union this past weekend while the ONU suffered its second-straight two point loss with a 52-50 setback at Muskingum.
The Cardinals feature two of the top ten scorers in the Ohio Athletic Conference in guards Shea McCoy (14.8 ppg.) and Kristi Kotterman (12.9 ppg.). McCoy leads the league with a .442 three-point percentage while Kotterman sits third among OAC players in steals (42).
Sophomore Hannah Day has averaged 7.9 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. in 15 outings this season, while freshman Maggie Allard comes off the bench to contribute in the backcourt.
Otterbein ranks second in the conference in team rebounding with 41.4 per game, including a league-best 15 offensive boards per game. The team also ranks third in steals, coming up with just under ten per contest.
The Polar Bears come to town with a stifling defense, allowing a league-best 54.4 ppg. while limiting opponents to shooting just .348 from the field. ONU also sits atop the conference in field-goal percentage on the offensive end (.423), and ranks as the second-best free-throw shooting team at an even .760.
Senior Jeanne Bockey leads the team with 11.8 ppg., while seven other Polar Bears contribute anywhere between five and ten points per contest.
Junior Kara Dysert is second on the team with 9.1 ppg., and ranks seventh in the OAC in rebounding at 6.9/game. She also sits third among OAC players with a .851 free-throw percentage.
The two teams split the season series a year ago, each winning on their home court. Northern picked up a 69-54 victory on Dec. 19 as Bockey and Dysert combined for 29 points, and Otterbein got even with a 79-72 victory Jan. 23. Kotterman and McCoy each scored 20 points in the winning effort.
Otterbein stays at home throughout the remainder of the week, hosting Marietta Saturday evening at 5 p.m.
