ADRIAN, Mich. – The Otterbein women's basketball team bounced back on Saturday afternoon, earning a strong 68-57 road win at Adrian behind a balanced scoring effort and a dominant fourth quarter.
The Cardinals traded early baskets with the Bulldogs before settling in. Freshman Cameron Sparks converted an and-one to give Otterbein its first lead, and layups from Sparks, freshman Kate Mosher and junior Abby Rawlings helped build a 13-10 edge after the opening period.
Adrian opened the second quarter with a quick 7-0 run, but Otterbein steadied the momentum as sophomore Mattie Walburn knocked down a pair of jumpers and Sparks added another finish inside to tie things at 17-17. The teams continued to go back-and-forth until late in the half, when Walburn, junior Nicole Terry and junior Anna Waskiewicz fueled a small surge to push Otterbein ahead 28-26 at the break.
The third quarter followed a similar pattern, with both sides trading runs and neither leading by more than a few points. Rawlings buried a three, sophomore Kiara Hudgins converted an and-one, and Terry and sophomore Madilyn Stechschulte each scored at the rim to help the Cardinals take a 50-45 advantage into the fourth.
Otterbein broke the game open from there, outscoring Adrian 18-12 in the final frame. Walburn opened the quarter with a layup, Sparks followed in transition, and Terry added four quick points as the Cardinals stretched the margin to double digits. Hudgins and Sparks continued to control the paint while Rawlings knocked down late free throws to seal the victory. The Cardinals leaned on a strong defensive stretch in the fourth to create separation, supported by a 13–6 edge on the offensive glass and an 8–1 advantage in fast-break points throughout the game.
Walburn delivered a standout performance with a team-high 17 points. Sparks added 11 points and five rebounds, while Hudgins also chipped in nine. Rawlings filled the stat sheet with nine points, seven boards, five assists and two steals.
Otterbein shot an impressive 17 of 19 at the free-throw line (89%) and led for more than 71% of the afternoon, building its largest lead of 15 in the fourth.
The Cardinals will return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 2 with a road matchup at Carnegie Mellon.
