PHOTO GALLERY

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A disappointing exit from the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament was handed to Otterbein Tuesday night in the Rike Center, as visiting Ohio Northern locked up defensively to secure a 61-44 victory in quarterfinal action.

The Polar Bears, seeded seventh in the 10-team bracket, win their second game in as many nights after downing Heidelberg in a play-in contest. Otterbein, holding the No. 2 seed, unfortunately ends its season with an 8-5 overall record.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Both sides, playing in front of a real crowd for the first time this season, got off to slow starts offensively. The Cardinals led 9-4 before ONU punctuated the opening quarter on an 11-0 run.
   
• Otterbein went over seven minutes without scoring, but finally regrouped midway through the second quarter with a quick 7-0 run to get back inside a possession.
   
• The Polar Bears answered with a 12-3 spurt of their own, and ultimately settled for a 29-24 lead at the break after an Angelia Jackson three-pointer in the final minute. Both sides combined to go 6 of 25 from behind the arc prior to intermission.
   
• Another grind-it-out quarter after halftime, as Ohio Northern reopened a double-digit lead before a pair of buckets from Jenna Hoschouer and Katie McCrary in the closing 45 seconds kept the Cardinals down just 42-36 entering the fourth.
   
• Offensive struggles continued for Otterbein into the final period, not making a shot from the field until the 5:00 mark and only mustering eight points in the frame.

 
KEY STATS:

• Ohio Northern, the league's top defensive team allowing 55 points per game, held its fourth opponent this season under 50 points. They have surrendered just 78 points total now in the two postseason outings.
   
• The Cardinals shot just 17 of 61 for the game and 4 of 24 from three-point land. Otterbein entered as the OAC's highest-scoring team (78.2) but was held to a season-low output.
   
• Ohio Northern finished with a 49-30 rebounding edge, including 10 from post player Sydney Ward. She also blocked three shots while not scoring a point on the other end.
   
• McCrary tied for a game-high 12 points while Jackson barely missed another double-double at 11 points and nine boards.

 

• ONU finished with a 36-12 advantage in bench points. All 12 of Otterbein's came from McCrary.

 
UP NEXT:

Ohio Northern advances to play top seed John Carroll in the semifinals, while Otterbein will head into the offseason looking to regroup and prepare for (hopefully) a full schedule in 2021-22.