Box Score

WASHINGTON, Pa. - The Otterbein University women's basketball team dropped its first game of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 68-63 to Washington & Jefferson in the tournament championship game inside Henry Memorial Center.

Otterbein (2-1 overall) came into the game fresh off a narrow 62-59 victory over Wittenberg on Friday night in day one of the Washington & Jefferson Tournament. The Cards battled the Presidents throughout the entire contest on Saturday after falling behind 9-0 in the first three minutes. A three-pointer by sophomore guard Abby Miduri gave the Cardinals their first points of the game at the 6:18 mark in first quarter, before the team fell behind by 10 points at 13-3 just two minutes later.

The Cards opened the second period with an 18-11 deficit, before a jumper by senior forward Amariah Huck cut the Presidents' lead to five with 8:35 left until halftime. Washington & Jefferson managed to boost its lead back to double digits twice, before Otterbein used an 11-8 run to end the first half down 31-24. Both teams struggled from the field through the opening 20 minutes of play, with the Presidents shooting 35.1 percent and the Cards checking in at 34.6 percent.

Washington & Jefferson opened up an 11-point lead midway through the third period, posting a 42-31 advantage with 5:27 remaining. A layup by sophomore forward Nicolette Campbell-Muriente and a three-pointer by freshman guard Ali Cartnal got the Cardinals right back in the game, as they trailed 44-36 with 3:36 left until the final period.

Otterbein cut its deficit to a two-possession game at 48-42, as Huck converted a layup in the paint and the foul shot that followed, inching closer to its opposition with just over a minute remaining in the third period. The Cardinals ended the quarter surrendering four points to the Presidents, helping them regain a 10-point advantage heading into the fourth period.

The Presidents began the final period on a 15-7 scoring run, inflating their lead to a game-high 18 points over the Cardinals. The tide then turned with 4:48 left to play, as Miduri converted a layup in the paint to initiate the comeback trail for the Cards. Otterbein tallied an 11-0 scoring run over a span of over three minutes to pull to within seven points of their opposition with just under two minutes remaining in regulation.

A Washington & Jefferson free throw at the 1:40 mark increased its lead to 68-60, before a steal by Miduri led to a fastbreak layup for the Cards. Junior guard Marissa Sheets then drew a foul on the Presidents, connecting on 1-of-2 free throws with seven seconds left for the final point scored in the contest.

Miduri, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including a 5-of-12 mark from three-point range. Huck followed with 11 points on a solid 4-of-7 mark from the field, totaling six rebounds and four assists in the process. A total of four players for Washington & Jefferson checked in with double-digit scoring efforts, while Beka Bellhy led the team with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting. The Presidents compiled a 43.1 percent mark from the field as a team, while the Cardinals notched a 41.8 percent total. 

Otterbein welcomes a week break until it travels to Transylvania Nov. 28 - 29 for the Pat Deacon Classic. The Cards are scheduled to open with Greensboro at 5 p.m. on day one at the Clive M. Beck Center in Lexington, Ky.