WILMINGTON, Ohio – What began as a lopsided game somehow turned into a one-possession battle that needed extra time Wednesday night, as Otterbein and Wilmington ventured to overtime in a wild Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener for both teams…

The Cardinals, leading 19-1 early in the second quarter, saw the host Quakers chip away as things progressed and draw within a single possession by the fourth quarter. After a hectic finish in that frame, Otterbein would ultimately escape 66-58 in overtime.

HOW IT ALL WENT DOWN:

• Wilmington missed its first 15 shots from the field, going 0 for 12 in the first quarter and seeing that dry spell carry over into the next period.
   
• The Cards held a 21-3 cushion before WC settled in on its home floor, eventually trailing 30-16 at intermission.
   
• A 9-0 run by the Quakers (midway through the third frame) got the home side back within single digits. Otterbein weathered that storm momentarily but Wilmington fired back with six straight to end the quarter, slicing the gap to 40-37 entering the fourth…
   
• The Cardinals launched the fourth on a 10-2 spurt, regaining a double-digit cushion (50-39) on a three-pointer from Abby Rawlings. However, Otterbein made just one bucket over the final seven minutes of regulation, another trifecta from Rawlings, as Wilmington ended the frame on a 14-3 stretch.
   
• A layup with five seconds on the clock by Wilmington's Keetyn Hupp tied the game. However, after advancing the ball via the timeout, Otterbein senior Katie McCrary was awarded two free throws with just one second remaining on a bang-bang block/charge call under the hoop. Both attempts unfortunately missed the mark as the game headed for an extra session.
   
• Despite that adversity and WC taking its first lead of the game early in OT, the Cards regrouped nicely with a difference-making 9-1 run moving forward. McCrary fittingly scored seven of those points in the sequence to help the team emerge.

BOX SCORE NOTABLES:

• Both teams shot under 40% for the game and went a combined 9 of 34 behind the arc.
   
• McCrary (18) led four Cardinals in double figures with Rawlings (13 off the bench), Claire Radabaugh (12) and Maizie King (10) all supplementing the offense.
   
• Wilmington made up ground across the night at the free-throw line as Otterbein was called for nearly twice as many fouls. The Quakers went 20 of 31 at the charity stripe compared to a 9-of-15 effort for the Cards.
   
• WC held a 28-18 scoring edge in the paint and received a double-double from Stephanie Altstaetter, who had 10 points and 11 boards.

SERIES UPDATE:

• Otterbein has now won nine-straight matchups in the series, although the last six have all been decided by eight points or less. The Cards survived a 61-60 finish in the OAC Tournament quarterfinals last year.

 
UP NEXT:

The Cardinals will look to regroup quickly and turn focus to Roush Auto Rivalry Weekend this coming Saturday, heading across town to play the first game of a doubleheader at Capital. Tip from Bexley is set for 5 p.m.