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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein women's basketball team upped its season record to a healthy 5-1 inside the Rike Center Saturday night, blasting cross-town rival Capital by a score of 80-60 in its home opener before a strong crowd.

The Cardinals, under the direction of new head coach Diana Noles, started strong and never let up en route to a third-straight victory in the rivalry showdown. Capital now stands 3-3 on the year with the loss, in what was the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener for both teams.

Otterbein held a 15-8 lead after not letting the Crusader do much of anything in the first quarter, and then exploded for 24 points in the second period. The Cards shot 9 of 14 from the field in that second quarter and ultimately went into halftime leading 39-24.

Delaney Cutteridge controlled the show prior to intermission, heading into the locker room with game-highs of 15 points, four assists and two steals while playing all 20 minutes.

The Cardinals extended their lead to 21 points in the third quarter, coming at the 3:28 mark when Kathleen DeCarlo made a layup down low, and eventually carried that same sizeable margin into the final period.

Otterbein coasted down the stretch and saw Cutteridge post a career-high of 23 points to accompany nine assists and four steals. She went 7 of 9 from the field and a perfect 8 of 8 at the free-throw line.

A balanced Cardinal effort saw four players in double figures, with Angelia Jackson (16), Abbie Scholz (13) and Hailey Bauer (12) all contributing nicely as well. DeCarlo just missed a double-double performance with nine points and nine boards.

Otterbein posted a 36-23 rebounding edge and doubled up the Crusaders, 16-8, in fast-break scoring. Carlie Hulette and Cassidy Bosch combined for 31 points to pace Capital.

The Cardinals will now have the middle of next week off for final exams before heading to Tiffin on Saturday afternoon for a matchup with Heidelberg. Tip off for that showdown is scheduled for 1 p.m.