UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – A game between two of the top teams in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), in the final week of the regular season, with postseason implications on the line, certainly lived up to the billing Wednesday night as host John Carroll had to fend off Otterbein in the final minute of a nail-biter.

The Blue Streaks, looking to clinch the OAC regular-season outright after going just 8-18 a year ago, ultimately survived by a final score of 71-67 to secure the top seed in next week's postseason event. JCU now stands 18-6 on the year and 14-3 against the league.

Otterbein, entering the night tied for second place in the league standings, went blow for blow into the final 30 seconds before settling for another two-possession loss in the season series. The first matchup between the team's also went down to the final minute, as John Carroll emerged with a 72-66 victory earlier this season in Westerville after breaking a tie with 57 seconds remaining.

The Cardinals, now 15-9 overall and 11-6 within the conference, slightly fall into a tie for third place with Marietta as the league remains bunched up entering the final weekend. Otterbein heads to second-place Baldwin Wallace on Saturday afternoon with spots 2-6 in the standings separated by just two games.

John Carroll took a slim 35-34 lead into intermission as the neither team led by more than two possessions throughout the first half. The third period feature more of the same with six lead changes until JCU carried a 55-51 advantage into the final quarter.

The Cardinals trailed by six, the largest deficit of the game, early in the fourth but didn't go anywhere. Otterbein trimmed the gap back down to a single point twice, first on a layup from Alex Schaffer at the 2:22 mark and then on a banked three-pointer from Schaffer with just 46 seconds to play.

However, the Cards would unfortunately never take the lead as an ensuing driving layup, defensive stop on the other end and a few free throws helped seal the deal. John Carroll never trailed again after the midway point of the third quarter.

Schaffer delivered an impressive line for Otterbein off the bench, posting a career-high 17 points in just 16 minutes of action. She was 7 of 9 from the field, connected on three triples and also snagged four rebounds.

Senior Dani Kissel and sophomore Angelia Jackson both added 11 for the Cardinal offense, which shot 45 percent for the game and 9 of 25 from behind the arc.

John Carroll went 43 percent from the floor as a team, receiving a game-high 23 points from Kahrin Spear and collectively going 16 of 22 from the free-throw line. Otterbein had just eight attempts total at the charity stripe.

Both sides combined for 45 turnovers and the rebounding category finished at an identical 35-35.