WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A six-game game winning streak came to a close Wednesday night for the Otterbein women's basketball team, as a late three-pointer from John Carroll ultimately helped the visitors escape with a 72-66 victory inside the Rike Center.

The Cardinals, now an even 6-6 on the year following an 0-5 start against a treacherous schedule, also drop to 2-3 against the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). The team will be forced to regroup quickly as No. 20-ranked Baldwin Wallace comes to town Saturday afternoon.

Otterbein controlled the first quarter thanks to a handful of miscues by John Carroll, which committed 12 turnovers throughout the initial 10 minutes. The Cards built a 21-10 lead as a result, shooting 43 percent from the field and getting an early seven from leading scorer Dani Kissel.

The fast-paced Blue Streaks (8-4, 4-1 OAC) settled in to begin the second period, going on an immediate 8-0 run in the first 90 seconds to make it a one-possession game. Otterbein weathered the storm and pushed the lead back to six on a pair of occasions, but both sides would continue trading baskets in a quarter that saw JCU post 26 points from start to finish.

The Cardinals settled for a slim 37-36 lead entering the break for halftime, with point guard Ali Cartnal leading the way at a game-high 11 points.

The third quarter remained tight throughout, mostly remaining a one-possession game despite the Cards opening a pair of four-point leads at separate points. The Cards ultimately carried a 52-50 lead into the final frame, but John Carroll found a groove with a quick 7-0 run to grab a 57-52 edge.

Otterbein hung tough behind a layup from Abbie Scholz and trifecta from Jacy Jones as the midway point approached, leaving the score 60-57 with 6:12 on the game clock. Both teams then hit a mini rut offensively as neither side scored for over two minutes, until a Cartnal layup with 3:41 to play brought the contest to 60-59.

John Carroll snapped its four-minute scoreless draught a few possessions later before the game encountered a pair of ties, first at 64-64 on an old-fashioned three-point play from sophomore Angelia Jackson, followed by a jumper from Cartnal with 1:16 remaining on the scoreboard.

JCU's Nicole Heffington connected on her timely three-pointer from the top of the key with 57 seconds left, and the Blue Streaks managed three-straight defensive stops going forward to escape with the win.

John Carroll shot 48 percent from the field compared to a 38.7 percent clip for Otterbein, which made 11 of 33 from behind the arc but was outscored 42-16 in the paint. The Cards had a 19-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

Cartnal scored 22 for Otterbein while Kissel added 15 of her own. Heffington led all players with 25 points and eight rebounds on the John Carroll side, with guard Shmoo Pryor the only other Blue Streak in double figures at 10.