MARIETTA, Ohio – Oh what a much-needed result and finish it was for the Otterbein women's basketball team on Wednesday night down at Marietta, as freshman Kyla Irby delivered heroics with a buzzer-beating trifecta to help the Cards escape a memorable 66-63 conference showdown.

The Cardinals, snapping a three-game losing skid with the upset, overcame an eight-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to eventually prevail for a critical W. Otterbein inches back to 3-4 in league play.

Marietta, having made consecutive NCAA appearances the last two years, now stands 9-4 overall and 4-3 in the OAC.

HOW IT PLAYED OUT:

• Otterbein, rolling out a bit of a new-look lineup, yielded strong results from the jump with 21 points in the first quarter.
   
• Marietta responded with a huge second frame of its own to carry a marginal 35-33 lead into the break.
   
• The third period was a one-possession slugfest most of the way in featuring ties at 39, 41, 43 and 45 before the hosts punctuated the quarter on a 6-0 run.
   
• Adding a bucket to begin the fourth, Marietta suddenly stood on top 53-45 with just over eight minutes on the clock. But Otterbein inched back from there thanks to multiple three-pointers, all part of a 9-0 run that catapulted the Cards back on top.
   
• Deadlocks at 57, 61 and 63 ensued before each team committed a turnover and missed a shot from long range over the next minute. Otterbein called a timeout off a miss from the Pioneers and advanced the ball across halfcourt with 2.1 seconds remaining…
   
• Claire Radabaugh inbounded to Irby, who pump-faked at the top of the key. She took one quick dribble to her right before nailing the game-winner and erupting her teammates from the bench.

BOX SCORE NOTABLES:

• Otterbein shot 41.8% for the game and even better from long distance, making 10 of 20 trifectas on the night for another season-best result.
   
• Maizie King had 16 points and eight rebounds while Olivia Majors (12) and Irby (11) also scored in double figures.
   
• Both sides worked to overcome some giveaway with a combined 34 turnovers in the game as a whole.
   
• Marietta had 41 bench points behind the efforts of Paige Tolson (19) and  Kelly Levering (14).

UP NEXT:

• Otterbein returns home to play Muskingum this coming weekend, with tip scheduled for 1 p.m.