PHOTO GALLERY

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A memorable turnaround campaign for Otterbein unfortunately ended with a tough result in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament in the Rike Center Tuesday night, as the Cardinals came up short to an efficient Baldwin Wallace team… 87-79.

The Yellow Jackets, seeded fifth in the league's postseason bracket, advances to the semifinal round while No. 4 seed Otterbein ends its standout year with a 17-8 overall record. The Cards were originally picked to finish dead last in the OAC's Preseason poll.

HOW IT PLAYED OUT:

• Both sides, playing with newer-made basketball, took a while to settle in offensively in a game that was called very tight early. The game was locked (12-12) crossing the middle portion of the half following a back-down layup by Justin Carter, snapping a three-minute scoreless drought by the Cards.
   
• The scoring picked up as halftime approached and the contest became tied 27-27 with an even 3:00 to go before the break. BW closed strong, heading into the locker room on a 10-4 spurt, after shooting 54% in the frame compared to just 35% on the home side.
   
• Baldwin Wallace maintained its two-possession lead during the initial portion of the second half, before extending the gap to 14 after a 16-6 run that bridged the midway point.
   
• A three-pointer from Reid Black at the 5:00 mark got the Cards back within single digits, at 74-66. The Cards began playing the foul game in the closing minutes, forcing a turnover and getting the ball back only down six…
   
• Unfortunately, a layup was blocked at the rim and BW scored in transition the other way to secure a four-point swing.

 
STAT CHECK:

• The two-hour game featured 41 fouls whistled in 40 minutes.
   
• Both sides combined to post 98 points in the second half.
   
• BW standout Anthony Mazzeo, the OAC's third-leading scorer, led four Yellow Jackets in double figures with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting.
   
• Junior Dallas Patrick paced Otterbein with 22 points, bringing him to 984 for his career. Three others reached double digits as well, including senior Jake Justice going for 16 points and a team-high seven boards.
   
• Carter, a fifth-year journeyman and campus favorite, ends his time in a Cardinal uniform with 1,077 points. He left to a standing ovation in the final minute.
   
• Despite the high-scoring result, the contest featured 19 missed free throws.