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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein University women's basketball team split a pair of games in the 36th-annual Smokey Ballenger Classic, defeating Saint Mary's (Ind.), 78-67, on Monday before falling to Denison, 69-58, on Tuesday.
 
This year's Smokey Ballenger Classic was the first year in which all four teams participating had won at least one Classic title. Otterbein leads the Classic championship count with 10 in all, with Denison next in line having now won three after claiming this season's title with victories over North Central and Otterbein.
 
Otterbein (6-6 overall) will enjoy an 11-day break before looking to pick up its second victory in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play, as the Cards host Heidelberg on Jan. 9 at 3 p.m.
  
Day One
 
The Cardinals traded baskets with Saint Mary's through the first period of play, as a total of 11 lead changes occurred. Neither team gained more than a three-point lead, as junior guard Marissa Sheets tallied seven of Otterbein's first 16 points to help the Cards take a two-point lead into the second quarter.
 
After the Belles tied the game at 16-points apiece, the Cardinals manufactured a 6-0 scoring run with all six points coming from three different players. Otterbein increased its lead to as many as nine in the second period, taking a 39-30 advantage into halftime following a three-pointer by freshman guard Dani Kissel.
 
Otterbein opened the second half with a 12-5 scoring run, boosting its lead to 51-35 with 6:06 left in the third period. Saint Mary's managed to battle back, cutting its deficit to a two-possession game heading into the final quarter.
 
The Cardinals opened the final 10 minutes of action with a 7-0 scoring run to increase their lead to 13 points with 8:36 remaining, before the Belles cut the Cardinal lead to six points at the 3:09 mark. Otterbein connected on all seven of its foul shots in the final quarter, including freshman guard Ali Cartnal and sophomore forward Kiersten Taylor going 3-of-3 from the charity stripe to help seal the day one victory.
 
Six Cardinal players totaled double-digit scoring efforts, led by senior forward Amariah Huck, who tallied a game-high 19 points on a 7-of-9 shooting mark to go along with five rebounds. Kissel followed with 14 points on a 6-of-15 shooting mark, corralling seven rebounds. Cartnal and Taylor each chipped in 11 points apiece, with Cartnal adding six assists and Taylor recording seven rebounds.
 
Sheets and sophomore guard Abby Miduri each checked in with 10 points apiece. The Cards outshot the Belles from the field 45.2 percent to 39.3 percent, as Otterbein enjoyed a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Day Two
 
Otterbein fell behind 14-2 through the first six minutes of play against Denison, as the Big Red connected on five two-pointers and two three-pointers to begin the game. The Cardinals cut their deficit to nine points at 18-9 at the 2:12 mark, before surrendering the first quarter down 21-9.
 
The Cards opened the second period with a 9-2 scoring run to pull to within five points of their opposition at 23-18 with 6:05 remaining in the half. A jumper by freshman guard ReAnna Dudley cut the Denison lead to a two-possession game at 26-20, before Denison increased its lead to nine points with 2:54 remaining. Otterbein eventually tied the game at 31 apiece with less than a minute left in the half, all part of a 9-2 scoring run that ended in Denison taking a slim 33-31 lead at the break.
 
Denison began the second half on a 16-2 scoring run to inflate its lead to 49-33 with 2:29 left in the period. The Cardinals tallied just three field goals in the quarter, with Huck recording three of the team's seven points.
 
The Big Red boosted its lead to 19 points less than a minute into the final period before the Cardinals put together an 11-0 scoring run, cutting the lead to eight points. Otterbein continued to battle on both ends of the floor, but could not manage to get any closer the remainder of the way.

Huck and Kissel tied for the team-lead in points with 14 apiece, shooting a combined 9-of-21 from the field with Huck grabbing eight rebounds and Kissel adding four of her own. Taylor and fellow forward Taylor Pifher checked in with six points each, while junior guard Cheyenne Hartley-Carr gave the Cards some energy late in the game off the bench with a pair of baskets.
 
Denison junior Jordan Holmes posted a double-double with game-highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds, this coming after a triple-double on Monday against North Central with a notable stat line of 21 rebounds, 19 points and 14 blocks. Near the end of Tuesday's contest, she became just the fifth player in North Coast Athletic Conference history to eclipse 1,000 career rebounds.

Both teams shot under 40 percent, with Denison leading with a 39-percent mark to Otterbein's 35 percent, while the Big Red posted a 13-4 advantage in second chance points.