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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – What started as a lopsided affair morphed into a tightly-contested battle Wednesday night in the Rike Center, as Otterbein was forced to hold off a rather pesky Wilmington squad for a 68-62 victory in conference play.

The Cardinals, who never trailed behind a career night from junior Olivia Majors, led by as many as 23 points (midway through the second quarter) before watching the visitors storm back late.

THE AFTERMATH:

Nevertheless, Otterbein did just enough to escape and win its fourth game in a row. The Cardinals have now won 10 of the past 11 meetings in this series and improve to 10-6 this season, 6-3 within the Ohio Athletic Conference.

Wilmington, having won five of its last seven coming in, now also stands 10-6 overall but 4-5 against the league.

KEY STRETCHES:

• Otterbein led 19-3 after one quarter as Wilmington shot just 1 of 16 in the frame.
   
• The Quakers settled in and chipped away at the deficit, scoring 19 points in the second period to get back within a dozen (34-22) at the break.
   
• Both sides played about even in the third, with the Cardinals maintaining a 13-point edge bridging into the final quarter.
   
• The night got more interesting down the stretch as Wilmington refused to go quietly, using a 7-0 run to get within four points and then later clawing to within a possession (58-55) with 1:50 showing on the clock…
   
• However, junior guard Claire Radabaugh (back after missing three games with an injury) buried critical jumpers on both occasions to help stretch Otterbein's lead back out.
   
• Otterbein connected on 8 of 10 free throws in the final minutes, including a 5-of-6 effort from Majors, to seal the deal.

STAT STUFFERS:

• Majors poured in a career-high 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while also pulling down six boards and snagging a pair of steals.
   
• Radabaugh added 10 points off the bench in her return to go along with a game-high five assists. She played 22 minutes and shot an efficient 5 of 7 throughout.
   
• Wilmington shot a blistering 73% during its furious comeback in the fourth quarter. Veteran point guard Kennedy Lewis paced the charge with 18 points.
   
• Kathleen DeCarlo hauled in nine boards and is averaging that exact number over the last five contests.
   
• Otterbein finished with a 27-13 edge in bench scoring.

NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES:

• Wilmington encountered a bit of vehicle trouble upon entering Columbus, as the team bus broke down on the highway just south of town. Otterbein coaches Diana Noles and Delaney Cutteridge, along with game manager David Carroll, took school vans and picked up the Quakers in rush-hour traffic.

HALF-COURT HERO:

• With an extra 15 minutes added onto the pregame clock for Wilmington to arrive comfortably, Sports Information Director Adam Prescott and players Kathleen DeCarlo, Serenity Castle and Alexis Amabile found themselves in an impromptu half-court shootout. Castle was the first to connect and earn bragging rights…

RIVALRY REMATCH:

• The Cardinals will finish out this week across town at rival Capital, looking to sweep the Comets this regular season while playing for The Oar. Otterbein won the initial matchup (67-58) back in early December.