Box Score

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein women's hoops team picked up a much-needed victory over Muskingum Saturday afternoon on senior day, outlasting the Fighting Muskies, 69-66, to split the season series.

Otterbein improves to 10-13 overall and 6-10 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play with two regular-season games remaining next week, beginning with the home regular-season finale against No.5-ranked Ohio Northern Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Both the Cardinals and the Muskies are now tied for sixth-place in the conference standings with identical records, as the upcoming eight-team OAC Tournament nears. 

The Cardinals benefited the entire day from a 26-12 advantage in points in the paint, as four players scored 14 or more points. Otterbein notched the first two baskets of the game to take an early lead before Muskingum held the Cards scoreless for over two minutes to gain a 7-4 advantage.

Guard Dani Kissel then converted five-straight points to help the Cardinals knot the score at nine points apiece, before the Muskies finished the initial frame accounting for 12 of the final 19 points to help gain a five-point edge.

The Muskies led the entire second quarter despite the Cards pulling within one point at the 7:15 mark following a layup by forward Kiersten Taylor. Muskingum quickly boosted its lead to 28-20 less than three minutes later, before eight points from guard Abby Miduri over the final 4:43 of play helped the Cards close out the half down 32-29.

Otterbein chipped away at the Muskies' lead throughout the third quarter before Taylor converted a pair of free throws with just under three minutes left to give the Cards their first lead since the 8:39 mark of the first period. Muskingum quickly regained its advantage two possessions later on a three-pointer by guard Shelby Moses, proving to be a key basket in a 49-48 lead in favor of the Muskies to begin the final frame.

The Cards took a two-point lead just 1:15 into the period on a shot from beyond the arc by guard Ali Cartnal, sparking a back and forth scoring effort between the two squads for the next five minutes. Cartnal drained another three-pointer five minutes later to give Otterbein its largest lead of the game, 67-61, prompting a bundle of substitutions on offense for the Muskies.

Muskingum notched the next three points on a field goal and a free throw to cut its deficit to one possession with 52 seconds left to play, before three missed shots between the two teams led to Miduri converting two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to aid the Cards' lead.

The Muskies' Mallory Taylor drew a foul in the paint on the team's next possession and made both foul shots to pull within three points. Otterbein was called for five seconds on the ensuing inbound, giving Muskingum one final shot at the buzzer which landed well short of the rim.

Kissel finished with a game-high 18 points on 4-of-9 shooting and an 8-of-9 mark from the charity stripe, tying with Cartnal, who concluded with 14 points including 4-of-4 from distance, for a game-high four assists.

Miduri posted 17 points off the bench going 6-of-11 from the field with a trio of three-pointers, while Taylor scored 16 points to go along with six rebounds. Forwards Abbie Scholz and Taylor Pifher helped the Cards control the boards combining for 18 rebounds off the bench.

Pifher and fellow senior Cheyenne Hartley-Carr were honored pregame for each of their efforts as four-year letterwinners on the squad.