Women's Basketball Loses at Otterbein on Buzzer Beater

Otterbein College guard Sara Fee hit a three-pointer from just inside half court as time expired to send the Cardinals to a 63-62 win over Capital University in an Ohio Athletic Conference women's basketball game Saturday in Westerville. The Crusaders finished the season at 16-9 overall and 10-8 in the OAC tied for fourth with Otterbein and John Carroll. Otterbein (14-11, 10-8 OAC) holds the tiebreaker and will host the Crusaders Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the quartefinals of the OAC Tournament.

Capital scored the game's first two baskets to lead 4-0 before Otterbein outscored the Crusaders 30-10 over the next 11 minutes to take a 30-14 lead.  The Cardinals nailed 17-of-33 (51.5-percent) first half shots to take a 13 point lead, 40-27, into the half.

The Crusaders opened the second half on a 10-2 run over four minutes a Chelsea Ruoff (Grove City/Grove City) three-pointer to close the gap to 45-40.  Otterbein answered with an Ana Gamble three-pointer to stretch the lead back to eight, but Capital rallied again over the next eight minutes and a three-pointer from Heather McAlpin (Cincinnati/Colerain) got the Crusaders to within a point, 54-53 with 6:05 left.  Capital recaptured the lead, 60-58, on a Kristen Richardson (Oxford/Talawanda) layup with 1:34 to play.  Otterbein immediately tied the game on a Laura Roth layup, then fouled Capital to put the Crusaders on the line and get the ball back.  McAlpin went 1-for-2 from the line to give the Crusaders a 61-60 lead then got a steal on the ensuing Otterbein possession was fouled and went to the line again with three seconds remaining.  McAlpin again went 1-for-2 from the line to make the score 62-60, to set up Fee's heroics.

Richardson finished with a game-high and career-best 30 points and McAlpin had 13 points as the double figure scorers for Capital.

Katy Miller had 14 points and 14 rebounds and Fee finished with 13 points to lead Otterbein.