Box Score WESTERVILLE, Ohio-- Jay Joseph scored 24 points and Maurice Beavers added 16 as Otterbein held off Denison for a 76-65 win at the Rike Center.
Otterbein held an eight-point lead at the intermission but an 11-0 run by Otterbein early in the second half gave the Cardinals a 21-point lead with just over 12 minutes to play.
The lead grew to 23 with 9:37 remaining after Joseph converted a steal and layup at the other end. The Big Red responded by cutting the lead to eight with 2:26 left after Alex Meurer's layup was good. Needing a stop at the other end, Otterbein's Kobe Long-Weber drove the lane and converted, giving his squad a 10-point lead with 1:59 left. The Cardinals went 6-for-9 from the free throw line to seal the win.
Denison was led in scoring for the second-straight game by Fred Brou. The reigning North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week scored 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Matt Gerics added 12 points while Meurer and Jack Coulter chipped in eight.
The Big Red shot 44 percent from the field but we just 6-of-29 (.207) from 3-point range. Otterbein connected on 54.5 percent of its shot attempts and was 6-of-13 from long range.
Denison will look to rebound on Saturday (Dec. 1) when they travel to Crawfordsville, Indiana for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Wabash College.