Box Score UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – Otterbein University suffered a conference road loss Wednesday evening, coming up on the low end of a 92-72 affair at John Carroll University.
The Cardinals, now 3-11 overall and 2-5 within the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), will need to regroup quickly as they host undefeated and No. 7-ranked Marietta College Saturday night in the Rike Center. The Pioneers improved to 14-0 on the season Wednesday after an 80-56 win over Capital.
John Carroll opened the game with a frenzy, taking a 22-6 lead by the 12:46 mark before opening a 42-12 cushion with seven minutes remaining in the first half.
Otterbein, playing without leading-scorer Matt Hughes and fellow freshman Darrell Miller III due to injuries, eventually settled in by going on a 16-4 run over the next three-plus minutes, getting the deficit back down under 20. JCU later took a 55-34 edge into halftime.
Sophomore guard Jake Phillis and recent transfer Josh Lyle paced the Cardinals in the opening half, combining to score 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting.
Otterbein began the second half on a quick 7-2 scoring spurt but the Blue Streaks quickly gathered themselves, pushing the lead to as many as 33 in coasting to victory.
Phillis and Lyle each finished with 17 points while sophomore Bryan Mackenzie posted 9.
Will Starks dropped a game-high 21 off the bench for John Carroll, which made just 14 of 28 from the free-throw line but did connect on 12 three-pointers, albeit shooting 35. The Streaks had 47 bench points.
