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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein men's basketball team bounced back to snap a lengthy losing streak in the all-time series with Wilmington Saturday night, emerging down the stretch to win 70-63 inside an energized Rike Center.
The Quakers, winning 85-77 Friday night at home, had previously won 18-straight games in the series. Otterbein's last victory had occurred back in 2012 during the home finale for legendary coach Dick Reynolds.
As a result, Otterbein salvages a much-needed weekend split and improves to 2-4 on the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- As with the opening matchup, both sides traded baskets over the initial part of the first half. The score was tied, 18-18, at exactly the 10:00 mark following a Wilmington layup.
- Otterbein later turned a small deficit into a 33-28 lead, thanks to a quick 7-0 run, before the Quakers regrouped with five-straight points. Neither team made a shot from the field over the final 3:03 of the first half.
- The Cards opened a 48-42 lead with 14:15 on the second-half clock before going cold. Otterbein managed just three points over the next six full minutes of game time, as the contest eventually found itself locked at 51-51 heading down the stretch.
- Otterbein clung to a 57-56 lead before a difference-making sequence. Cam Evans made both free throws after a flagrant foul, and then Reid Black buried a massive three-pointer from the top of the key to go ahead 62-56.
- Wilmington hung close, and had the ball down 66-61 with 35 seconds left, but a pair of missed shots near the ream allowed Otterbein to take over and ultimately prevail.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Wilmington standout Jeffrey Mansfield, the OAC's second-leading scorer a year ago, was 0-for-14 shooting until a layup at the very end. He finished with eight points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals.
- Black (17), Dallas Patrick (16) and Justin Carter (12) led the way for Otterbein, which shot 44 percent and was 18 of 20 at the charity stripe.
- The Quakers shot just 4 of 21 from behind the arc, getting 14 points from both Bilal Sow and Jackson Todd.
- Jake Justice, a shooting guard, led all players with a career-best seven rebounds.
UP NEXT:
Otterbein will gear up to play a home-and-home series with John Carroll next weekend, hosting the Blue Streaks on Friday before heading up to University Heights come Saturday. The Cards are scheduled to host Senior Night in the initial matchup at the Rike Center.
