Box Score BOX SCORE

PHOTOS

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Despite the Rike Center battling through some power and electricity issues during the afternoon as a result of poor weather, the lights found a way to stay on for the Otterbein men's basketball team Friday night in its home opener.

The Cardinals, chomping at the bit to launch their season, took full advantage in holding off visiting Franklin College for a 68-59 victory to begin another campaign.

Otterbein held the Grizzlies, a returning NCAA Tournament team, to just 35 percent shooting on the night to help buy time after a slow start. The Cards have now won three-straight matchups in the series.

HOW IT PLAYED OUT:

• The game actually started 15 minutes late after Franklin, battling that Friday rush-hour traffic in Columbus, arrived to the arena with just 24 minutes left on the pregame clock. Despite that shuffle, the Grizzlies jumped out to a 13-4 lead…
   
• Otterbein took some time settling in but eventually did, using a 9-0 run down the backstretch of the first period (behind a pair of nice steals from Alex Hannah) to seize a 25-19 cushion. Both sides traded baskets from there as the Cards took a modest 34-28 lead into the break.
   
• Franklin scored to begin the second half but Otterbein quickly went on a 9-0 run that included four points from Hannah.
   
• The Grizzlies kept battling and didn't go quietly, working the deficit back down to between 6-8 points on a handful of sequences but never getting any closer. A timely jumper by freshman Julian Heckman (with 3:39 left) pushed the lead back to double digits and Hannah left little double in the outcome with a trifecta just a few possessions later.

STATS THAT MATTERED:

• Hannah tallied a big double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, both career-highs for the rising sophomore.
   
• Cam Evans led all scorers with 18 despite a tough night shooting, while Heckman added 11 off the bench in his college debut. The Reynoldsburg product was 4-of-6 shooting.
   
• The Cardinals received 26 points off the bench via five different players and won the rebounding battle 39-29, including 12 offensive boards.
   
• Senior Dallas Patrick, entering with 984 career points, didn't score but impacted the game in other ways. He had eight rebounds and a game-high six assists.
   
• Franklin shot 4 of 21 from three-point range, including an 0 for 10 mark in the second half.

 
UP NEXT:

Otterbein will have the weekend off before staying at home to begin next week, hosting Oberlin College come Wednesday night at 7 p.m.