WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Wilmington College men's basketball team couldn't overcome a double-digit halftime deficit in a 76-66 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) defeat to Otterbein University at Fred Raizk Arena on Wednesday evening.
The Fightin' Quakers opened the game on a 7-2 run that began with a Bryce Bird triple and ended with an old-fashioned, three-point play from Jeffery Mansfield. The Cardinals, who are in the midst of their best season in a decade, answered with a 17-2 run over a four-minute span, forcing a timeout from Wilmington Head Coach K.C. Hunt with his team trailing 19-11.
Mansfield was fouled out of the timeout and made two free throws, but Otterbein stayed hot from distance, making three triples and growing the advantage to 15 points (30-15) with 6:23 to play in the half. Wilmington stayed within striking distance thanks to Anthony Freeman, who connected on consecutive triples from the baseline with the later being a rare four-point play. With the score 36-29, Otterbein ended the half on a 9-2 run capped by an acrobatic tip-in from Alex Hannah give the visitors a 45-31 lead at halftime.
The Cardinals maintained a double-digit lead through the first 10 minutes of the second half, but the Quakers, trailing 60-46, put together an 8-0 run that included four points from Noah Dado to pull within six at the 7:43 mark. That's as close as Wilmington would get, however, as Mansfield picked up his fourth and fifth fouls in quick succession following the run, and Otterbein held on to earn its first win in Fred Raizk Arena since Feb. 19, 2011.
Otterbein shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) from the field to go along with eight triples and a 16-of-21 (76.2 percent) effort from the free throw line. Wilmington finished 21-of-61 (34.4 percent), but made just 5-of-22 (22.7 percent) from distance. The Quakers made 19 free throws and held a slim 35-33 edge in rebounding.
For Otterbein, a quartet of Cardinals – Cam Evans, Jake Justice, Dallas Patrick and Justin Carter – finished in double figures with Evans' 17 points off the bench leading the way. Dominic Cantrella dished out six assists.
For Wilmington, Mansfield flirted with a triple-double despite fouling out, scoring 22 points to go along with nine goals and eight assists in just over 31 minutes played. Dado had a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards for a double-double.
The Quakers close out the 2021-22 regular season at John Carroll University on Saturday. Tip-off from the DeCarlo Center is slated for 4 p.m.
