PHOTO GALLERY (coming soon)
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – An upset minded Otterbein squad, culminating perhaps the most difficult three-game stretch in the country, nearly took No. 3-ranked Mount Union the distance Saturday afternoon inside an energetic Rike Center.
The Cardinals, coming off recent losses to Heidelberg (receiving votes) and No. 10 John Carroll over the past 10 days, found themselves in a one-possession battle with roughly six minutes left before the Raiders created a little room down the stretch.
In the end, Mount Union survive a difficult OAC road test and walked away with a 74-65 decision. Mount improves to 14-1 overall while Otterbein now stands 9-6 this winter.
HOW IT PLAYED OUT:
- Otterbein, just as it didn't against John Carroll, came out ready to roll and traded punches with another top-tier opponent. The Cards vaulted ahead (21-19) on a long ball from Troy Scowden and then held a 25-21 lead minutes later thanks to a smooth fallaway jumper from Cam Evans in the paint.
- Mount Union found a groove to end the first half, ending the frame on a 13-4 run to carry a five-point cushion into the break.
- The Cardinals struck a nice 14-4 run early in the second half, trailing 42-34 but catching steam behind lead guard Julian Heckman to claim a 50-46 edge approaching the midway point…
- The back-and-forth dogfight then saw Otterbein ahead 52-50 until the Raiders, with standout big man Christian Parker on the bench in foul trouble, embarked on a 12-2 run punctuated on a breakaway dunk from Darrell Newsom.
- Otterbein stopped the bleeding with a timely bucket from Dallas Patrick and did its best to stay within striking distance. The Cards only trailed by seven points with 2:23 on the clock but ran out of time and opportunities.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Parker, a candidate for OAC Player of the Year and recent D3Hoops.com National Team of the Week member, did not play the final 15:57 of regulation after picking up his third foul early in the frame. He had a season-low six points.
- Evans, the OAC's leading scorer just ahead of Parker, tallied 16 points and a team-high six rebounds to lead four Cardinals in double figures. He was joined by Heckman (15), Scowden (12) and Dallas Patrick (11).
- Braeden Poole dropped a game-best 23 points for Mount Union, shooting 8 of 10 from the field and making all seven free throws.
- The Raiders were just 1 of 13 from three-point range, but held a 26-14 edge in points off turnovers and 42-30 scoring margin in the paint.
- Scowden continued his progression as a first-year player at the college level, making all five shots from the floor while battling foul trouble throughout.
UP NEXT:
- Otterbein will conclude the first half of the OAC's round-robin schedule with a mid-week trip to Wilmington, scheduled for Wednesday evening.
