PHOTO GALLERY

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein women's basketball fell behind early Saturday afternoon, but stayed the course to make it five wins in a row in securing a 70-56 victory over Muskingum inside the Rike Center.
 
The Cardinals, now 6-1 for the second time in three seasons under head coach Diana Noles, strung together a 20-5 run bridging halftime on their way to a fairly comfortable double-digit win down the stretch. Muskingum falls to 5-4 on the season as a result.
 
HOW IT PLAYED OUT:
 

• The first frame was fast and physical as the Muskies took a 19-16 lead with 13 of those points coming from freshman Milayna Williams.
   
• Otterbein stepped up the intensity in the second and outscored Muskingum 24-11, giving them a 40-30 lead at the break.
   
• Eight of nine Cardinals found a bucket in the first half with Katie McCrary leading the way with 10.|
   
• The Muskies continued trying their luck from three-point land and actually won the third quarter 11-10, shrinking the deficit down to single digits heading to the fourth.
   
• Otterbein's defense came up big in seeing out the victory, keeping the visitors at arm's length by holding Muskingum to just 25-percent shooting in the fourth quarter.

 
 
STANDOUT STATS:

• Katie McCrary (14), Angelia Jackson (13) and Kathleen Decarlo (10) were all double-digit scorers for the Cardinals, combining for over half of Otterbein's points.
   
• The Cardinals found success around the rim, scoring 60 percent of their points in the paint and holding a dominant 42-12 edge in the category.
   
• Otterbein's defense turned up the heat as the game went on, forcing 19 Muskie turnovers while only giving the ball away 12 times themselves.

 
 
HOME SWEET HOME:
 
Otterbein will enjoy a run of four-straight home games before the new year, with the next game coming against Marietta on Wednesday.