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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A big second half propelled the Otterbein men's basketball team to a second-straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) win Saturday afternoon in a loud Rike Center, as the Cardinals scored 44 points after halftime to earn a 62-57 triumph over Heidelberg.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Both teams struggled mightily from the field during first-half play, as the contest entered intermission deadlocked at 18-18. Neither club shot above 29 percent in that opening period, which featured a six-minute stretch where nobody scored.
- The Cards got going during the second half, which saw six lead changes until the Cards delivered an 11-0 run to open a seven-point lead roughly midway through the period.
- Otterbein stayed on the gas pedal and pushed the margin to double digits, at 52-41, with 6:07 on the clock after a jumper in the paint from Dallas Patrick.
- Heidelberg shrunk the gap to just four points with a minute remaining, but a key sequence by Patrick helped keep the Cards in control. The freshman made an acrobatic layup to beat the shot clock, and then drew a charge on the opposite end with 48 seconds left.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Patrick delivered a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Mo Beavers led all scorers with 17. It marked his third-straight game with 17 or more.
- Senior Nick Koontz continued doing a bit of everything, tallying a final line of six points, nine rebounds and five key assists.
- Both sides combined to go just 7 of 29 from behind the arc.
- Otterbein finished with a commanding 36-19 rebounding edge, while both teams had 36 points in the paint.
- Dylan Woods scored 11 as the only Student Prince in double figures.
UP NEXT:
Otterbein will look to carry momentum into a challenging week ahead, hosting nationally-ranked Marietta on Wednesday before a rematch at cross-town rival Capital on Saturday afternoon.
