Box Score
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein University men’s basketball team suffered a 67-66 overtime loss to visiting Muskingum University Saturday evening in the Rike Center.
The loss drops Otterbein to 5-8 overall and 2-4 in Ohio Athletic Conference play, while the win moves Muskingum to 5-9 this season and 2-5 in the league.
The game saw an early tie at 6-6 before Otterbein went on a 11-2 run, taking a 17-8 lead nine minutes in.
The Cardinals held a 23-16 advantage with 7:01 to play before halftime, but the Muskies scored the next seven points to draw even before pulling ahead 27-25. Muskingum would eventually take a 35-32 lead into the break.
Otterbein senior Brice Rausch led all scorers with 10 points in the first half. Both sides combined to shoot 3 of 15 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.
The Cardinals tied the game at 42-42 with 11:39 showing on the second-half clock, but Muskingum played its way to a nine-point advantage, 53-44, by the 6:06 mark.
Otterbein stayed put and battled down the stretch, and finally drew even on a last-second layup off an inbounds play. Senior Chris Davis would receive the entry pass and find a cutting Mark Louks to send the game into overtime.
The Cards vaulted to an early 67-62 lead in the extra session, but Muskingum held its ground and took a 65-64 lead with exactly one minute to go.
A layup from Rausch put Otterbein back on top by one with 36 seconds to play, but a jumper by Muskingum’s Carson Thomas proved to be the difference maker as Otterbein was unable to convert in the closing seconds.
Rausch turned in a game-high 20 points for the Cardinals, while Chris Davis notched a double-double with 14 points and a game-best 15 rebounds.
Junior Tommy Waterwash came off the Otterbein bench to contribute a career-high 13 points, while Louks matched a career-high of eight assists.
Josh Brindley paced the Muskie attack with 19 points while Logan Kimble and Kyle Clinedinst each scored 13.
Muskingum shot .467 from the field compared to .406 for Otterbein. The Cards held a 42-32 edge on the glass but committed twice as many turnovers at 16-8. Both sides tallied 38 points in the paint while the Muskies held an 18-9 edge in points off turnovers.
Otterbein returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 11, hosting Heidelberg University at 7:30 p.m.
