WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Wilmington College women's basketball team clawed all the way back from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to have a shot to win it, but Zahrya Bailey's layup at the buzzer was blocked, and Otterbein University escaped an OAC Tournament quarterfinal with a 61-60 victory at the Rike Center on Tuesday.
For the third time this season against Otterbein, Wilmington started slow and found itself trailing. The Quakers had just four points on baskets from JaKaia Lotz and Emma Wright through seven minutes. WC, trailing 11-4, got a free throw from Kennedy Lewis and a left-handed floated from Brooke Stover, but Natalie Allen ended the quarter with a basket to put the hosts ahead 13-7 after 10 minutes.
Katie McCrary began the second quarter with an and-one, but the Quakers began to cut into the deficit once it reached nine points at 16-7. An offensive rebound putback from Marisa Seiler started things, and a Jada Pohlen three-pointer midway through the quarter pulled WC within five at 20-15. After Natalie Galaida and Zahrya Bailey traded three-pointers, a Jenna Hoschouer pull-up jumper was answered by a Lotz basket.
Unfortunately for Wilmington, Otterbein scored the final six points of the half and led 31-22 at the intermission. In the third, the hosts opened up a double-digit advantage and led by as many as 13 points. A layup from Haley Dennis with 1:37 to play put the Cardinals up 11, but the Quakers ended the quarter with a quick 6-0 from their senior guards – Kennedy Lewis and Zahrya Bailey – to trail 44-39 after 30 minutes.
Wilmington kept chipping away, and finally took its first lead of the game with just under three minutes to play as Bailey converted consecutive jumpers put the visitors up 56-54. A Claire Radabaugh jumper on the ensuing possession tied it back up. Empty possessions from both sides followed, and after a WC turnover, a Kathleen DeCarlo layup gave the hosts a two-point edge with under a minute to play.
Otterbein locked down on the next possession, blocking a desperation three-pointer from Lewis with the shot clock winding down. The block led to a Cardinal fast-break layup, forcing WC Head Coach Janel Blankespoor to call timeout trailing 60-56 with 19 seconds left. Out of the timeout, Bailey found Marisa Seiler for a basket and the foul, but the freshman missed the free throw and the Quakers were forced to intentionally foul. DeCarlo made 1-of-2, and Kennedy Lewis was hacked driving to the rim. The fifth-year senior made both foul shots with seven seconds left.
Another intentional foul from WC followed, but this time, Otterbein came up empty as Hoschouer missed both. Seiler corralled the rebound and called timeout with six seconds to play. Out of the timeout, Lewis handed the ball off to Bailey at the top of the arc. Bailey drove to her right and looked to have Hoschouer beat, but the senior's potential game-winner was blocked from behind.
Both teams made exactly 21 field goals with the Quakers attempting one more field goal (58-57). The hosts held the advantage in made free throws (16-14) while the visitors made four triples and surrendered just three. Wilmington won the rebounding battle 40-37 while Otterbein held a 34-26 edge in points in the paint.
Pohlen led all scorers with 15 points and eight rebounds while Bailey also finished in double figures in scoring with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists. Lewis added eight points and seven rebounds in her final collegiate game.
The Cardinal trio of DeCarlo (14 points), McCrary (10 points) and Allen (10 points) led the Cardinals to victory.
Otterbein, the No. 4 seed for the tournament, advances to the semifinals against top-seeded Ohio Northern University. Wilmington, the No. 5 seed for the tournament, finishes its 2022-23 season with a 14-12 overall record and tied for fifth in the OAC with an 8-10 league mark.
