POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A dominant 67-46 victory over visiting Muskingum in the Rike Center helped the Otterbein women's basketball squad match its best start to Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play in program history Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals, using a strong defensive effort once again, improve to 9-2 on the season and remain perfect at 4-0 in league play. That effort matches the opening stretch by the 1995-96 group, which also started the conference slate at 4-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A relatively fast-paced first quarter ended with Otterbein leading 21-15, and the Cards then created separation before halftime by outscoring the Muskies 22-7 in the second period. Muskingum did not score across the final 3:22 of the frame.
   
• Both teams only tallied nine points in the third quarter, which featured a four-minute stretch where neither team scored. The Cards led by as many as 27 at one point.
   
• The two sides traded buckets in the fourth quarter as Muskingum's depth wore down, with the Muskies only dressing 10 active players for the game. Two starters fouled out as the visitors shot under 30 percent from the field throughout.
   

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Senior Abbie Scholz, playing under the weather, delivered her version of the "Michael Jordan flu game" by leading all players with 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven steals over 31 minutes. She was 6 of 12 from the field and also added three assists.
   
• Otterbein, entering the game ranked top-30 nationally in scoring defense, kept a similar theme by holding their fourth different opponent under 50 points this season. Only one team has amassed more than 60 against the stingy Cardinals so far on the schedule.
   
• The Cards got out in transition, posting a 26-4 edge in fast-break points, and tallied 20 assists on 24 made field goals.
   
• Abby Zerkle had 11 points while Jenna Hoschouer, Delaney Cutteridge and Bryn Mangold all scored nine. Cutteridge also had another nine helpers as she currently leads the OAC and ranks top-20 nationally in assists per game.
   

UP NEXT:

Otterbein will put its early record to the test with a pair of challenging road games, beginning at defending OAC champion John Carroll on Wednesday followed by a matchup at No. 14-ranked Baldwin Wallace.