The Muskingum women's basketball team spurted 22 points in the third quarter en route to claiming their second Ohio Athletic Conference victory at Otterbein on Saturday evening, 61-49.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (3-4 overall, 2-2 OAC), Otterbein (5-4 overall, 2-2 OAC)
• Location: Westerville, Ohio – Rike Center

Inside the Numbers

• Olivia Besancon led all scorers with 20 points, hitting 4-of-9 from the field, 2-of-6 from the arc, and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. She also grabbed eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
• Alexandra Carson tossed in 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
• Dana Parkman and Caitlyn Smith each tallied eight points.
• Kacie Leppla tied a season-high nine rebounds.
• Muskingum shot .389 (21-of-54) from the floor, .294 from the arc (5-of-17) and made .875 of their free throws (14-of-16).
• The Cardinals were led by Dani Kissel as she finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.
• Ali Cartnal collected 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
• Baldwin Wallace shot .290 (18-of-62) from the floor, .010 (2-of-20) from the arc, and .846 from the free-throw line (11-of-13).

Game Highlights

In the opening five minutes of the first quarter, Otterbein notched an 8-2 run. The Muskies then created a 6-0 run of their own to tie 8-8 with 3:10 left. 22 seconds later, the Cardinals nailed a three-pointer and held the 11-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Muskingum went on a 5-0 run to start the second quarter and led by as much as 22-17 with 3:30 on the clock. Thereafter, the Cardinals used a 7-2 run to tie the game at 24-24. Carson made the last basket for the Muskies at the 26 second marker to hold the two point lead at intermission.

Otterbein came into the third quarter scoring five straight points, but then the Muskies offense exploded. Muskingum burst 22 points to clasp the 48-35 advantage at the end of the third after going 7-of-17 from the field (.538) and 5-of-7 from the three point line (.714), with Carson and Besancon each registering two three pointers each. The Cardinals went cold offensively as they went 3-of-15 from the field. Otterbein worked their way back in the fourth quarter to get within eight points with 27 seconds left in the contest. However, the Muskies offense continued to guide them in the fourth quarter as they secured their second OAC victory of the season.

 Up Next

• Muskingum will visit Wooster on Tuesday, December 19, for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.