Box Score
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OHIO – The Otterbein University women’s basketball team won its fourth-straight game Saturday afternoon, improving to 10-11 overall and 6-8 in league play after an 83-74 victory at John Carroll University.
The loss drops the Blue Streaks to 11-10 on the season and 6-8 against Ohio Athletic Conference teams.
John Carroll hopped out to a 13-4 a little after four minutes into the game, but Otterbein stayed close and eventually tied the game at 30-30 after a layup from sophomore Rachel Snedegar.
A three-pointer from junior Kristi Kotterman on the Cards’ next possession gave the team a 33-30 lead before widening its advantage to 41-33, capping a 13-3 run.
JCU would score the last eight points of the first half, however, and the game would head to halftime locked at 41-41.
The game remained within one-possession for the first six minutes of the second half before Otterbein strung together a quick 7-0 run to take a 57-50 lead by the 12:48 mark.
The Streaks remained within striking distance, but the Cardinals would push their lead to double digits, at 65-55, with just over nine minutes remaining.
The Cards pushed the lead to 12 by the 6:47 mark, but JCU began to claw back and pulled within three by the 1:40 mark after a layup from Lee Jennings.
Otterbein stood its ground and used four Sarah Esterkamp free-throws entering the final minute to gain back some breathing room and eventually preserve the victory.
Kotterman led all scorers with 22 points while Snedegar scored 15 to go along with nine rebounds.
Esterkamp tallied a double-double with 13 points and ten caroms while Hannah Day barely missed a double-double with 13 points and nine boards.
Emilee Ritchie paced the John Carroll attack with 20 points.
Otterbein was able to limit the Streaks to just 28-of-71 shooting, and pulled down 18 offensive boards en route to winning the rebounding battle 54-36.
The team travels to play cross-town rival Capital University Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. Otterbein escaped with an 88-81 overtime victory over the Crusaders earlier this season in Westerville.
