Box Score
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein University men's basketball dropped a close decision to visiting Baldwin Wallace University Saturday evening, coming up just short in a 74-70 contest inside the Rike Center.
Otterbein held a 68-65 lead with 1:40 to play in the game, but Baldwin Wallace closed the game on a 9-2 run to escape with the win and improve to 10-9 overall, 6-6 within the Ohio Athletic Conference.
The Cardinals (4-15, 3-9 OAC) opened strong in front of their home crowd, scoring the first six points before settling in with a 17-12 lead.
Baldwin Wallace stayed put to keep it a one-possession game, forcing ties of 21-21, 23-23 and 25-25 before Otterbein ultimately slid into halftime with a slim 35-34 advantage. The Cards took advantage of poor BW free-throw shooting throughout the first half, watching the visitors go 5 of 12 from the line.
The Yellow Jackets came out strong to begin the second period, going on a 18-5 run over the first four and a half minutes to open a 52-40 lead.
Otterbein regrouped after a full timeout by going on a quick 9-2 scoring spurt, capped with a layup from sophomore Jake Bischoff, to close within 54-49 as the second frame hit the midway point.
BW widened the gap back to double digits two minutes later but the Cardinals weren't going anywhere, using a 17-4 run, which included 11-straight points from Matt Rhodes, to jump ahead 68-65 with 1:40 remaining.
The Jackets responded with a layup and a three-pointer to grab a 70-68 lead with 42 seconds left, and a layup from Otterbein point guard Jake Phillis on the other end missed the mark to give possession back. BW would manage to make four of five free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.
"It was one of those games that you look back and think 'what if'," Otterbein head coach Todd Adrian said. "There were many swings in the game but we were able to make adjustments and give ourselves a chance at the end."
Rhodes and Bischoff scored 20 and 16, respectively, to lead an Otterbein team that held a 28-18 edge in bench scoring and won the rebounding battle, 39-34. Both teams shot 45 percent from the floor.
"I'm disappointed for our guys because they played so hard and executed well," Adrian continued. "I thought we had a good look to tie on the Jake Phillis layup, but it just didn't fall. We're starting to get more confident in those pressure situations and have come a long way in a month or two. These guys are just continuing to improve."
Kevin Krakowiak and Kyle Payne each scored 19 to lead Baldwin Wallace, which finished a subpar 11 of 20 at the free-throw line but also connected on 11 of 22 three-point attempts. The Cardinals sank eight three-pointers of their own but only attempted 11 free throws, making six.
Otterbein will return to action Wednesday evening with a 7:30 p.m. road game at Ohio Northern University. The Polar Bears edged the Cardinals, 87-82, earlier this season in Westerville.
