DELAWARE, Ohio – Another split was in store at a non-conference tournament for Otterbein this Thursday and Friday, as the Cardinals halved a pair of outings at the Bishops Classic hosted by nearby Ohio Wesleyan.

The Cards closed strong to best host OWU on night one before falling short to defending national champion Hope in the title bout. Otterbein now rests 6-5 overall on the year and concludes action away from the Ohio Athletic Conference.

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OHIO WESLEYAN RECAP (W 64-57):

Both teams opened with 12 points in the first quarter before offenses kicked into gear, combining for 40 in the second frame. Otterbein built a 30-22 lead before OWU closed the half with a 9-3 run, creeping back within a possession.

The third quarter featured three ties and a handful of lead changes, with Otterbein clinging to that two-point edge after each side tallied 15. OWU vaulted to a narrow 52-51 lead early in the final stanza but the Cards would enjoy the last laugh, ending the contest on a 13-5 run to prevail behind solid free-throw shooting.

Natalie Galaida dropped 16 points off the bench while Jenna Hoschouer (12) and Olivia Majors (10) also made it into double figures. Otterbein was a consistent 34% from the field spanning all four periods.

Kasey Schipfer led all players with 24 points on the home side, which shot just 1 of 14 from three-point range. The game saw a combined 31 offensive rebounds.

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HOPE RECAP (L 89-71):

The Dutch, going 32-1 overall last year and beating UW-Whitewater in the national championship by double digits, built a sizeable lead in the first half.

Hope scored 30 points in the first quarter and later entered halftime with a 54-33 advantage, thanks in large part to a 14-2 run that closed the frame. Otterbein had only trailed 40-31 with under four minutes left before intermission.

The Dutch moved the lead to 25 midway through the third frame but Otterbein never topped battling, scoring 21 in the final quarter and outscoring Hope 38-35 in the second half collectively.

Hoschouer poured in a new career-high 23 points on a very efficient 11 of 18 from the field. She needed just one free throw and did not have to make a three-pointer to achieve the new personal best.

Hoschouer was joined on the All-Tournament Team by DeCarlo, who added another 15 behind a 7-of-9 clip across the floor. Galaida was productive off the bench yet again with 14, burying another four long balls.

Both teams shot above 50% from the floor, but Hope was 18 of 25 at the free-throw line while Otterbein was 7 of 10 in the category. Claire Baguely and Savannah Feenstra (MVP) combined for 38 points.

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UP NEXT:

Otterbein will finally settle into the Rike Center after playing 11 times on the road before the calendar turns over. The Cards will host OAC games with Ohio Northern and Heidelberg coming up next week.