WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A good, old-fashioned OAC battle went right down to the end Wednesday night in the Rike Center, as a layup from sophomore Cam Evans in the closing seconds allowed Otterbein to escape with an eventual 65-62 victory over a pesky Wilmington squad.

The Cardinals, having rotated wins and losses to begin the new year, get to 11-4 on the season with their sixth victory by two possessions or less.

WHAT WENT DOWN:

• Otterbein's stingy defense was locked in from the jump, allowing the Cards to open an 11-2 lead after six-plus minutes of action. But Wilmington, a typically energetic and aggressive bunch, stayed the course and eventually settled in.
   
• The Quakers went on a 12-0 run, taking advantage of a six-minute scoreless drought by the Cardinals to jump ahead. Otterbein later trailed 32-25 before consecutive layups from Bryson Lane and Justin Carter made the deficit just 32-29 by intermission.
   
• Intensity ramped up in the third quarter from both sides. Three ties and three lead changes occurred over the initial half of the frame, with Otterbein using an 8-0 run to scoot ahead (46-40) by the 10:50 mark.
   
• Wilmington countered with a 9-2 run itself, and the contest remained a 1-2 possession dogfight entering the homestretch. A step-back jumper from leading scorer Jeffrey Mansfield (with 2:03 on the game clock) eventually made it a 60-60 deadlock…
   
• Carter and Mansfield then exchanged layups to begin the final minute, leading to a 62-62 tie with just a two-second differential on the game/play clock. Otterbein worked possession until Evans used a ball-screen at the top of the key to maneuver in for a rather comfortable go-ahead layup…
   
• Wilmington inbounded the ball with 3.8 seconds remaining, and ultimately committed a turnover on the far baseline while driving in for a potential tying look.

 
STAT CHECK:

• Mansfield, a first team All-OAC journeyman, finished with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting as the only visiting player in double figures. He added six rebounds and five assists as the primary catalyst.
   
• Evans (14), Carter (13) and Dallas Patrick (12) all reached double-digit scoring for Otterbein. Jake Justice, with nine points, buried three timely shots from behind the arc.
   
• Both sides combined to make just 14 of 43 attempts from long range.
   
• Otterbein finished with a slight 32-26 rebounding edge, as Carter snagged all four of his on the offensive side.

 
UP NEXT:

Otterbein will stay at home to finish out the week, hosting a rematch with cross-town rival Capital (as part of a doubleheader with the women's team) Saturday evening. Start time from the Rike for the Roush Auto Rivalry Showdown is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m.