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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein University women’s basketball got back into the win column Wednesday evening, recovering from a short two-game skid to defeat visiting Wilmington College, 64-58, inside the Rike.
The Cardinals worked through a sluggish second half to move to 17-5 overall, and remain in control of third in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings with an 11-4 mark. Wilmington, meanwhile, falls to 13-9 this season and 9-6 in league play.
Wilmington started the contest with a three-pointer, but the Cardinals responded with 11-straight points to open an early advantage.
The Cardinals widened the lead behind a balanced offensive attack, opening a 29-14 lead by the 5:53 mark after a layup from senior Rachel Snedegar.
Otterbein took a 36-24 lead into halftime, but went scoreless over the opening six minutes of the second half as Wilmington pulled ahead, 37-36.
The Cards finally found a groove, tying the game at 45-45 and 47-47 before back-to-back trifectas from senior Allie Leopard and Hannah Day put the team ahead, 53-47, with 4:33 to play.
Otterbein remained in control from there, bumping the lead back to double digits and securing the victory.
Chelsea Reed paced Otterbein with an all-around performance of 14 points, eight assists, and five boards while Day and Chelsea Cannon added 13 and 11, respectively.
Bria Eslick and Brianna Peters combined to score 22 for Wilmington, which shot just .333 from the field compared to Otterbein’s .390.
The Quakers only managed to sink 12 of 21 at the free-throw line while the Cards were 15 of 21. Both sides combined to shoot 7 of 35 from three-point range.
The Cardinals now prepare for a key showdown with crosstown rival Capital University Saturday evening in the Rike Center. Starting time is set for 5 p.m. as the first game of a doubleheader with the men’s team.
Otterbein handled the Crusaders in the first meeting this season, holding the Purple and White to a season-low scoring output in a 64-39 win in Bexley. Day tallied 19 points and seven boards to lead the Cards in that outing.
