A 16-3 run by the Blue and Gold in the third quarter of the Ohio Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament semifinal game would be the deciding factor in an intense game between the John Carroll University Blue Streaks and the Otterbein Cardinals.

That cushion essentially produced the margin of victory in what became a 62-53 win for the host and top seeded Blue Streaks.

JCU will advance to the Ohio Athletic Conference title game for just the second time in program history, where it will face #7 seed Ohio Northern, a 59-55 upset winner in Marietta this evening.

Tip-off for the 2019 OAC Tournament championship -- the first ever to be hosted at John Carroll -- is slated for 3:00 p.m.

Head Coach Kelly Morrone felt after the game that the team's third quarter run was a big reason the Blue Streaks are slated to play on Saturday.

"During that run, we focused on getting stops and we were confident in the shots that we were getting," said Morrone.

Sophomore Nicole Heffington put together a big game when it was needed most, posting 14 points and 11 rebounds and recording her 10th career double-double performance of the year. She also added three assists and two steals.

"We knew we had to play stronger, especially within the first five minutes of the third quarter," said sophomore Nicole Heffington. "We wanted to give Shmoo (Pryor), Chelbi (Graham) and the rest of our seniors another game out here. We had a lot of teamwork in the second half."

Within the first 5:19 minutes of the game, the Blue Streaks and Cardinals showcased what was to become hard fought game. Both teams traded shots, with Otterbein's Ali Cartnal hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 9-9.

As the end of the first quarter neared, sophomore Olivia Nagy scored four consecutive points for the Blue Streaks, providing JCU with the 13-12 lead with 2:24 remaining in the opening quarter. Delaney Cutteridge hit a jump shot 19 seconds later, giving Otterbein the slight advantage (14-13) at the end of the first period.

The Cardinals came out strong in the second quarter, gaining a 22-18 lead at the 7:03 mark, their largest of the game. Scoring was not the strong suit over the following five minutes but the Blue Streaks were able to snag their first lead in 10 minutes, following stale play. Heffington hit the three-pointer that gave JCU the 25-24 lead with the clock reading 2:16.

Led by Heffington's team-leading nine points, two steals and five rebounds, the Blue Streaks led 29-25 at the break. Nagy added nine points as well, also adding three blocks and three rebounds.

The Blue Streaks came out strong in the second half, providing two runs of eight points each midway through the third quarter. At the 2:39 mark of the third period, JCU had outscored Otterbein 20-4. The Cardinals closed out the half with an 8-2 run, however, putting tension back into the DeCarlo Varsity Center by making the score 51-41 heading into the last stanza.

In the fourth quarter, the Blue Streaks moved out to their largest lead of the game (55-43) with 7:35 remaining in the contest. But despite still leading by 12 with 4:53 remaining in the contest, the Blue Streaks were still not out of the proverbial woods. Otterbein responded with a 7-0 run to cut JCU's lead to five points by the time 2:29 rolled around.

Although the Blue and Gold only held a two possession lead, Coach Morrone was satisfied with her team's confidence down the stretch.
"We knew they would come back," Said Morrone. "It was a great postseason environment. We just talked about how to stop the bleeding and we focused on the next play mentality. I thought their composure was really good."

Nagy proved to pay a pivotal role down the stretch for the Blue and Gold, hitting two key free throws to extend JCU's lead with 51 seconds remaining. Nagy finished with a career-high 16 points, adding a game-high five blocks. She also contributed six rebounds.

"She provides a defensive presence for us,' said Morrone. "She does a really great job of getting in a stance and moving on the perimeter -- I think she surprises people with her movement. She controlled the pace at both ends of the floor."

Sophomore Abby Adler rounded out the double-digit scoring for JCU, with 12 points, also contributing five rebounds. Junior Sarah Sprecher played a key role coming off the bench, adding nine points and five rebounds.

JCU turned the ball over 14 times but forced 20 turnovers from Otterbein.

"When you turn the ball over 14 times in a high intensity game, it is almost part of what you expect," said Morrone. "It is all about getting more possessions than the other team and I think that we did that big time."

Morrone credits her team's leadership for making it to this point.

"This team is really special and their leadership is extremely special," said Morrone. "We go from the No. 8 seed in last year's tournament to playing on Saturday at home because of our leadership."

Heffington spoke in behalf of the team saying they are looking forward to playing the Polar Bears a third time.

"We are excited," said Heffington of the opportunity. "They have been to the championship plenty of times. We are excited to be in the Championship with them. We are looking to roll."