Box Score WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein University men's basketball team fell 76-71 to Hiram on Wednesday night in a non-conference tilt inside the Rike Center.
Otterbein (1-4 overall) looks to bounce back from a two-game skid as it
opens Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play on Dec. 2, as the team hosts Ohio Northern at 7:30 p.m. inside the Rike Center. The beginning of the first half featured a frantic pace, as both teams looked to ignite their transition game in the early going. Otterbein fell behind 8-2 before a three-pointer by junior guard
Bryan Mackenzie cut the deficit to five points at the 16:57 mark. Junior guard
Jake Phillis connected on a pair of free throws at the 12:09 mark to make it a two-possession game. Three minutes passed before senior forward
Marc McCuen connected on one of his four three-pointers, helping add to a 7-2 scoring run for the Cards, making it a one-point advantage for the Terriers.
Hiram followed with a 10-1 scoring run to take a 27-17 lead with 6:42 remaining in the opening half. Credit the Cardinals for battling back, as they trimmed the Terrier lead twice to a one-possession game before eventually surrendering a 41-34 lead at the break. Hiram totaled a 46.6 percent mark from the field in the opening period, including a 6-of-10 mark from behind the arc, while Otterbein shot 36.6 percent.
The Terriers opened the second half on a 6-0 scoring run to increase their lead to 13 points, before Phillis netted the Cards' first points of the period on a jumper three minutes into the half. Otterbein again pulled to within one possession of its opposition, as a three-pointer from McCuen with 12:25 remaining turned the Cardinal deficit to 52-49.
Phillis tied the game at 63 apiece with 4:04 remaining, resulting in the first time the Cards were not trailing since the 18:32 mark of the opening half. Hiram responded with three-straight baskets to make the score 68-63, before Phillis connected on two foul shots to pull Otterbein to within one possession with under three minutes left to play.
A layup by Phillis with 13 seconds remaining pulled the Cards' to within three points of the Terriers at 74-71, leading to an Otterbein timeout. Hiram's Trey Sanders was fouled on the ensuing Terrier possession, putting him at the foul line for a one-and-one opportunity. Sanders missed the front end as the ball dropped toward his teammate J.J. Woodson, who tipped it in to secure the road victory for Hiram.
Phillis led all scorers with 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting, connecting on 9-of-11 foul shots. Mackenzie and McCuen followed with 12 points apiece, combining for 15 rebounds. Junior forward
Grant Fenner chipped in nine points and six rebounds.
Woodson led the Terriers with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, connecting on 3-of-5 three-point attempts. Kelvin Jones followed with 14 points, including key free throws to go 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. Hiram ended the game shooting 43.3 percent as a team to Otterbein's mark of 38.7 percent.
