WESTERVILLE, Ohio – A massive second half by Otterbein pushed the Cardinals to their second-straight victory in conference play Tuesday evening at the Rike Center, dominating Wilmington following the break en route to a 77-49 outcome.
The Cardinals led just 41-35 at intermission before gradually pulling away across another fast-paced half, limiting the Quakers to just a 5-of-35 effort from the floor. Otterbein gets to 6-3 overall this year and back to 2-2 within OAC play.
Wilmington, currently navigating one of the most challenging stretches in all of NCAA Division III, now rests 5-6 on its campaign. The Quakers have recently played Hope, Calvin, Mount Union, Marietta, John Carroll and now Otterbein successively.
HOW IT PLAYED OUT:
- Otterbein trailed early on during a rapid first half, but eventually took a 22-21 lead roughly a dozen minutes in.
- The Cards then trailed 33-30 nearing halftime but concluded the frame on an 11-2 spurt.
- Wilmington struggled mightily from the field in the second period, scoring just two points over a nine-minute stretch midway through against a tight Cardinal defense. That sequence saw Otterbein post an 18-2 advantage to break the game wide open.
BOX SCORE NOTABLES:
- Otterbein shot 45% for the game and limited the Quakers to just 14% in the second half, 29% for the entire day.
- The Cards held a 50-34 rebounding edge, including a career-high nine from Jared Kreager and eight from Troy Scowden.
- Jack Clement scored 20 to lead all players, going 8 of 10 from the field and snagging another six boards. Chase Garito scored 15 and Julian Heckman added 12.
- Otterbein finished with a sizeable 48-18 scoring edge in the paint.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS:
- The Cardinals will have a little time off before hosting the annual Smokey Ballenger Classic come December 29 and 30 in the Rike Center.
