Stars are rarely born at the beginning of a season. More often, they emerge when the grind gets tough in the middle of the season. Meghan Weber has emerged as one such star in for the John Carroll University women's basketball team this season.

The senior forward recorded a career-high 26 points during JCU's 83-64 victory over Otterbein University on Wednesday in Westerville.

Weber bested her previous record of 25 points, set just a week ago against Capital. The Akron native shot 12-of-20 from the floor and added eight rebounds in JCU's seventh consecutive victory.

Three other Blue Streaks reached double digits, as Katlyn Spahar recorded 18 points, Emily Taylor tabbed 12 points, and Beth Switzler achieved a double double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

With the win, the Blue and Gold advance to 13-1 overall and 6-1 in Ohio Athletic Conference play.

The Blue Streaks and Cardinals exchanged points to open the game. Weber tallied four of JCU's first six points as the visitors took a quick 6-2 lead. The teams then traded 3-pointers, as Spahar drained a trey at the 15:04 mark to extend the JCU lead to 14-8.

Weber continued to add on points, helping the Blue and Gold continue to build their lead. With five minutes remaining in the half, the Blue Streaks held a 29-18 advantage following a Beth Switzler tip-in. After the Cardinals committed a turnover, the hosts opted to burn a timeout to regroup.

The break didn't help the Cardinals much, as each time Otterbein hit a shot, the Blue Streaks responded with one of their own. JCU's lead briefly dropped into single digits, but another Switzler bucket quickly restored the double-digit advantage. Emily Taylor buried a 3-pointer with just three seconds left to grant the Blue Streaks a 43-29 advantage at halftime.

The Blue and Gold continued to attack the basket on offense at the start of the half, as Katlyn Spahar netted six points to in the first four minutes of the second. Following a pair of Spahar layups at the 16:19 mark, the Blue Streaks possessed a 54-39 advantage.

Spahar and Switzler helped the Blue and Gold add to the advantage. The visitors held a 68-50 lead with 7:49 left, causing the Cardinals to call a timeout. 

Despite Otterbein's best efforts, the Blue Streaks never allowed the lead to drop into the single-digits, securing the squad's second straight win over the Cardinals and the team's first in Westerville since 2010.

The Blue Streaks play next on Saturday, as JCU will play host to Mount Union at 3 p.m. in the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center.