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Otterbein University Athletics

Otterbein Cardinals

WBB OAC
51
Winner Otterbein OTT 22-5,14-2 OAC
45
Baldwin Wallace BW 24-3,16-0 OAC
Winner
Otterbein OTT
22-5,14-2 OAC
51
Final
45
Baldwin Wallace BW
24-3,16-0 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Otterbein OTT 17 8 13 13 51
Baldwin Wallace BW 7 15 14 9 45

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Queens of the OAC! Women's basketball wins first-ever OAC Tournament Championship

BEREA, Ohio – Put a ring on it!

For the first time in program history, the (RV) Otterbein University women's basketball team is the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Champion. The No. 2 seeded Cardinals knocked off the No. 1 seed and No. 8 national rank Baldwin Wallace, 51-45 in the OAC Tournament Championship game. 
 


Otterbein closed out the final 3:46 of the game on an 8-2 run to break a 43-43 tie and punch its ticket into next week's NCAA Tournament. As the final seconds ticked away, a joyous mob of Cardinals fled the bench to celebrate with their teammates on the court.

Out of the gates firing, the Cardinals got off to a hot 10-0 start. Four points apiece from Cameron Sparks and Kiara Hudgins, along with a Nicole Terry bucket off a steal saw Otterbein hold an early lead. BW got on the board with a three, but the sharp-shooting Kyla Irby drained one on the ensuing possession. At the end of the opening quarter, Otterbein held a 17-7 advantage. 

A veteran Yellow Jacket team settled in, chipping away throughout the second quarter. With 1:14 to play before the half, the hosts trimmed the lead to one with a 3-pointer. Otterbein answered with a jumper from Mattie Walburn, taking a 25-22 lead into halftime. 

Throughout the third quarter, the Cardinals withstood every Yellow Jacket run, consistently answering with buckets or stops. Baldwin Wallace would trim the lead to one, but never was able to tie or take the lead in the stanza. A late 3-pointer by BW set up a fourth quarter to remember, with Otterbein leading 38-36 with 10 minutes to play. 

In the fourth, Baldwin Wallace went on a 4-0 run to open the period and take a two-point lead. It was a defensive battle over the first few minutes of the quarter, as the teams were locked at 43-43 with 4:39 on the clock.

Walburn gave the Cardinals the lead for good with a signature pull-up jumper with 3:46 remaining. A turnover by BW and a Madilyn Stechschulte led to a Sparks layup, inflating the lead to four points. Sparks sealed the deal with a putback basket with 41 seconds on the clock, pushing the advantage to a two possession game – and on the brink of history. 

Junior guard Abby Rawlings dribbled to the corner and along the baseline to drain the final 10 seconds before she was joined by her exuberant teammates to celebrate the program's first conference title. Moments later, the squad was presented with the trophy by the OAC commissioner. When asked for a team representative or captain, with no hesitation the team looked at each other and all 15 Cardinals proudly went to claim the trophy. 
 


Sparks, the OAC Freshman of the Year, led Otterbein with 11 points. Both Walburn and Hudgins added 10, as Stechschulte's 11 rebounds were a team-best.

The Cardinals will find out who, when and where they play at Monday's NCAA Selection Show, aired on ncaa.com at 2:30 p.m.
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