BEXLEY, Ohio – The Otterbein men's basketball program is still focused on building in the right direction. But, Saturday afternoon, the Cardinals also secured their biggest win in quite some time with a 76-68 triumph across town at Capital in its Roush Auto Rivalry Showdown.

Otterbein, trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, totally flipped the script en route to a rather comfortable victory down the stretch in front of a raucous crowd. The Cards snap an 11-game losing streak to the Comets as a result, and gain initial possession of the newly-reinstated rivalry oar.

A 5-1 record now accompanies the Cardinals, with the only loss being a road game at Case Western Reserve… which is now 8-1 and receiving votes in the national rankings.

WHAT HAPPENED:

• Capital opened strong in the first half, using a 19-3 run at one point to open the double-digit (and then some) advantage by the 8:18 mark.
   
• Otterbein settled in and began chipping away, closing the period with an 11-4 run (where Brennan Rains had eight points of his own) to ultimately make it just a 35-30 deficit at intermission.
   
• Cam Evans, the hero from Thursday night after his buzzer-beating shot to escape Adrian, came into full effect once again throughout the second half. He scored 16 of his game-high 17 after the break.
   
• Otterbein used an 11-2 run midway through the half to pull away, turning a slight 54-50 margin into a nice 65-52 cushion in a matter of just four minutes.
   
• The Cardinals used nice ball control and solid free-throw shooting down the stretch to depart with the victory, giving head coach Andy Winters his first victory against his former team.

 
STATS THAT MATTERED:

• Otterbein held Capital to just .212 shooting in the second half, where the Comets went 2 of 16 from beyond the arc.
   
• Evans (17), Rains (16) and Justin Carter (16) combined for 49 points and a ridiculous .714 shooting as a trio.
   
• The Cardinals showed their depth once again by posting a 42-26 edge in bench scoring. Both teams had an identical 28 points in the paint.
   
• Tyler Schreck had a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds for Capital, which now stands 4-3 on the season.

 
UP NEXT:

• Otterbein will have the middle of next week off for final exams before getting back into action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Muskingum as part of a men's and women's doubleheader at the Rike Center. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.