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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein University women's basketball team split a pair of games at its annual Smokey Ballenger Classic this weekend, defeating Case Western 84-62 on Friday evening before falling 71-58 to Calvin on Saturday inside the Rike Center.

Otterbein (6-5 overall) will look to build on its early 2-2 mark in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play next Wednesday night when it hosts nationally-ranked Ohio Northern. Tip-off on Reynolds Court is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Game One vs. Case Western

The Cardinals jumped out to a fast start with the game's first six points in their favor, as senior Kiersten Taylor accounted for four points in the early going. The Spartans (3-6 overall) then connected on back-to-back three-pointers to knot the score at six points apiece on their next two possessions, before a layup by junior Ali Cartnal halted the run.

The opening quarter presented four additional ties at the eight, 10, 12 and 14-point marks, as the two teams rounded out the frame going back and forth in the scoring column before consecutive baskets by Cartnal and Taylor pushed the Cards in front 18-15 to end the period.

Otterbein gained control of the tempo on both ends of the floor from that point forward, never again surrendering the lead for the remainder of the contest while taking its largest lead of the half heading into the break at 42-27.

The Cardinals gained the double-digit lead thanks to a 16-8 scoring run over the final 7:45 of the initial half, as junior Dani Kissel poured in 11 points over the final nine minutes. Kissel led all scorers through 20 minutes with 15 points as the Cards shot 44 percent from the field.

Otterbein went ahead by as many as 24 points less than six minutes into the third quarter, before notching a 25-point fourth period in which the two teams combined for 47 points in the frame. The Cards matched the largest lead of the game at 75-49 just under the five-minute mark, before settling on its first 20-plus point win of the year.

Kissel led all scorers with a season-high 24 points on 7-of-17 shooting to accompany a stellar 10-of-12 mark from the foul line. Taylor followed with 18 points to go with six rebounds and three assists, while Delaney Cutteridge added nine points and four boards in her second-straight start.

Sophomore Abbie Scholz was a force in the rebounding category, corralling a game-high 12 boards with seven points. The Cards concluded the game shooting 41.5 percent, while going a solid 26 of 31 from the charity stripe (83.9pct).

Game Two vs. Calvin

Otterbein trailed 6-2 in the early going before a made free throw by Scholz and fast-break layup from Cartnal cut the Calvin lead to a single point.

The Knights then put their foot on the gas on the offensive end, manufacturing a 10-2 scoring run to take a 16-7 advantage. Cutteridge helped dig the Cards out of their scoring struggle with a jumper in the paint on the next possession, sparking a scoring spree for Otterbein.

The Cardinals posted nine unanswered points to knot the score at 16 points apiece at the 1:45 mark of the first quarter before a fast-break layup by Cutteridge again tied the score at 18 all to end the period.

Several ties presented themselves in the opening minutes of the second quarter before the Cardinals notched their first and only lead of the night at 24-22 at the six-minute mark, as Taylor dropped in a layup underneath the rim.

Calvin went on a 15-10 run to conclude the opening half, heading into the locker room with a 37-34 lead thanks to a late jumper near the half-time buzzer.

Otterbein found itself down 10 points just over three minutes into the second half as Calvin poured in multiple baskets and forced its opposition into several miscues. But the Cards battled back once again with a 10-2 run to narrow the score to 46-44 in favor of the Knights at the 4:49 mark.

The Cards would come no closer for the remainder of the game, falling behind by 10 points heading into the final quarter before the Knights took a 15-point advantage, their largest of the contest, with less than 30 seconds left.

Kissel again led the way for the Cards with 14 points, while Cartnal finished with 13 points and Taylor notched 10 points. Calvin's Ali Spayde, Bre Luurtsema and Kara Minderhoud each eclipsed the 20-point mark and combined for 65 of the team's points.