The bank was open late Wednesday, and the Wilmington College women's basketball team withdrew a victory – beating Otterbein 71-59 in Ohio Athletic Conference action at Fred Raizk Arena in Hermann Court.
With time expiring on the shot clock on the possession immediate following the Cardinals taking their first lead of the second half, freshman Ellie Kivell (Hamilton, OH/Lakota West) banked in a three-pointer and Wilmington never trailed again.
WC had just had its double figure advantage evaporate when their took target at the basket, and it's opponent.
"I just knew we were going battle," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve. "I knew we were in a battle before they tied it up. (Otterbein) had been playing hard all night. We were making mistakes defensively and they were making shots. I just knew we had to keep playing. Thankfully we came down on the offensive end and made some big shots."
Kivell's three-pointer was the first of four straight that buried Otterbein as WC scored 17 of the game's final 21 points.
"It was big in every way," Scheve said of the barrage of three-pointers. "It basically put the game away in a minute's time. The banked three at the buzzer was a huge shot. I always like to say, "the team that banks in a three, wins the game", and that is what happened tonight."
With the steady stream of three-pointer splashing home, the white-clad fans really got riled up.
"It was amazing to see our fans, especially the football team, come out and support us tonight," said Scheve. "We built off their energy tonight, and they played a part in the game-ending run."
Wilmington shot 7-of-10 from three-point range in the second half, and made a season-high 10 three-pointers in the game. Six different players converted from beyond the arc.
While it easy to point to the frequency of the three-pointer going through the nets, you shouldn't lose sight of the defensive effort by senior Courtney Tucker (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore). The senior guard was given the task of slowing down Otterbein point guard Chelsea Reed, who is fifth in the NCAA in assists with 5.4 per game. For just the third time this season, Reed had more turnovers than assists and was held to a season-low two.
"Anytime you look at her stat line and see more turnovers than assists, you are happy," said Reed. "That is what Courtney can do for us, we just need to do a better job on some other people."
Sophomore Mary Moyer (Martinsville, OH/Clinton-Massie) finished with a team-high 16 points and five rebounds. Kivell added a career-high 14 points and a team-high four assists. Sophomore Brittaney Jefferson (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne) chipped in with 11 points, and Tucker added nine points and five rebounds.
Wilmington (10-6 overall, 5-4 OAC) has won three of the last four games, and will go on the road 3 p.m. Saturday to face league-leading and 19th ranked John Carroll. The Blue Streaks handed WC its first loss of the season by the 67-57 score in December.
