In a tightly contested game, one play can stand out as an indicator of how things would ultimately turn out.  For John Carroll and Otterbein Wednesday night at the DeCarlo Varsity Center, it was a banked in three point field goal that would give the visiting Cardinals a lead they would not surrender in a 73-68 win over the host Blue Streaks in University Heights.

Ali Cartnal played the part of the villain on this night. With her team trailing 66-65 entering the final two minutes and the shot clock running down, she pulled up from the right side beyond the arc and powered a shot that caromed off the glass and through the net. It would be Otterbein's first lead since the opening period.

John Carroll attempted to answer on the next trip down, and had three offensive rebounds and four shots but nothing would fall.

The Blue Streaks last chance to tie came with under ten seconds remaining. Down 70-68, Katlyn Spahar drove to the basket and attempted a shot but was blocked by Dani Kissel.

The Cardinals hit five of six free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.

The visitors began the contest on fire. After Otterbein hit its opening three field goals of the game to build a 6-0 lead, the Cardinals would stretch their advantage to eight points at 12-4 midway through the opening period. It would be the Blue Streaks, however, who would finish the quarter on a 15-5 run, capped by a Shmoo Pryor three-pointer, to grab a 19-17 lead after ten minutes of play.

JCU led by as many as seven points before taking a 37-33 edge into the break. Again, the Blue Streaks would make a late shot -- this time a Kahrin Spear jumper -- to seize the momentum leaving the floor.

The Blue Streaks were the first team to reach a double-figure lead, as Pryor used a steal and a fast break lay-up to push her team ahead by a 54-44 score with 3:55 left to play in the third. Otterbein answered back with a three-pointer on the next trip down, and cut the John Carroll lead to 58-53 by the end of the frame.

John Carroll would maintain its lead until the 1:55 mark, when Cartnal hit the fatal three pointer.

Otterbein (7-7, 3-4 OAC), which won on the road for the first time since December 17, was paced by 18 points from Kissel and 15 from Cartnal. The Cardinals, after struggling from long range in the first half (2-8), went 7-14 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes.

Spahar had a game-high 23 points and Pryor added 20 for John Carroll (4-10, 2-5 OAC). Spahar also had a team-high nine boards and four assists, while Pryor had eight rebounds and a team best six steals.