Box Score
Otterbein 64, Ohio Wesleyan 60
Junior wing Jack Clement (Bellefontaine) scored 10 points and senior post Nick Carlson (Dublin/Coffman) added 6 more during a 20-4 run that gave Ohio Wesleyan the lead, but Otterbein retook the lead and withstood a Bishop comeback to take a win during the second day of the Smokey Ballenger Classic, hosted by Otterbein on Thursday in Westerville.
In Thursday's opener, Ohio Northern defeated Olivet by a 78-59 count.
Otterbein led the Bishops, 32-20, after a Dominic Cantrella jumper early in the second half.
Carlson buried a 3-pointer to start the Bishop run, then followed with a lay-in before junior post Grant Spicer (Cincinnati/Lakota East) threw down a dunk to make it a 32-27 game.
Justin Carter hit a jumper to end the Cardinals' scoreless streak of nearly 2 minutes, but Clement followed with a 3-pointer off the break, and baskets by Spicer and Clement evened the score at 34 before a Carlson free throw and a Clement lay-in gave Ohio Wesleyan a 37-34 lead. After an Anthony Holmes lay-in, Clement drilled another 3-pointer for a 40-36 Bishop lead with 13:08 left in regulation time.
The Cardinals retook the lead with an 8-0 burst that included a Carter jumper and 3-pointers by Cam Evans and Jake Justice in a span of 60 seconds, turning a 48-44 deficit into a 52-48 lead.
Otterbein still led by 4 after a Cantrella jumper made it 58-54 with 2:20 remaining, and while the Bishops rallied with a bucket by Carlson and 2 from Clement, the Cardinals sank 2 free throws after each Ohio Wesleyan score to restore the 4-point margin.
The hosts had taken the lead with a 14-2 first-half run, taking advantage of an Ohio Wesleyan drought of nearly 8 minutes while taking an 18-6 lead on Dallas Patrick's basket with 8:58 left in the period. Clement sank a pair of 3-pointers late in the half to bring the Bishops within 30-18 at the break, setting up Ohio Wesleyan's second-half comeback.
Clement led the Bishops with 24 points and Carlson scored 17 points. Clement, Spicer, and Carlson shared the team lead with 4 rebounds apiece.
Evans had 15 points for Otterbein.
Box Score
