BEXLEY, Ohio – A tough scoreless stretch in the first half put Otterbein in a double-digit hole Saturday night across town at Capital, and the Cards nearly dug themselves out before exiting with a narrow 61-58 final result in the first Roush Auto Rivalry Showdown this winter.

The Cardinals fall back to 4-2 this season in the Ohio Athletic Conference opener for both teams, which propels the upstart Comets to a 7-1 record this season. Their only loss is at No. 9-ranked Case Western Reserve.

THE SCRIPT:

Both sides exchanged buckets in a tight first half as Capital led just 21-20 with 7:25 to go before halftime. Unfortunately, Otterbein did not score the remainder of the period in missing 11-straight shots entering the break. The hosts netted 14 themselves during that stretch to open a 35-20 margin.

The Cards shot just 8 of 33 in the first half compared to a 16 of 31 (.516) clip by the home side.

Despite that rough path, Otterbein shot 50 percent in the second half and began chipping away. A 7-0 run out of the locker room quickly shrunk the deficit to single digits and (after some mini runs) the Cardinals ultimately clawed within single point (53-52) with five minutes remaining…

Capital responded with six in a row to lead by seven, yet Otterbein got back within a possession and saw a chance to tie (down 61-58) after the Comets missed the front end of a 1-and-1. A pullup from Evans at the top of the key just missed the mark and the hosts would survive.

BOX SCORE LOOK:

• Both sides combined to shoot just 7 of 41 from three-point range.
   
• Evans, the reigning OAC Player of the Week, had a game-high 14 points and also led the Cards with seven rebounds. Julian Heckman scored 11.
   
• Capital held a 27-14 edge in bench scoring.
   
• The Comets committed twice as many turnovers for the contest.
   
• All eight scorers for the home side tallied between 6-10 points.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Cards will have a full week off to regroup and tackle final exams, ultimately getting back into OAC play against Heidelberg next Saturday in the Rike Center. Tip is slated for 1 p.m.