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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
OAC Regular Season Champs
Kyle Kelly
61
Otterbein OTT 7-4,7-4 OAC
78
Winner John Carroll JCU 10-1,10-1 OAC
Otterbein OTT
7-4,7-4 OAC
61
Final
78
John Carroll JCU
10-1,10-1 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Otterbein OTT 16 8 16 21 61
John Carroll JCU 18 24 23 13 78

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Kyle Kelly, Senior Staff Writer

OAC CHAMPS: Women's Basketball Earns Regular Season Title at Home

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Add another year to the banner.

It was a night full of accomplishments for the John Carroll University Women's Basketball team in their 78-61 win over Otterbein University at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center on Friday, Feb. 26.

The Blue Streaks clinched the regular season Ohio Athletic Conference title while improving their record to 10-1 on the season. 

This is the second time in three seasons the Blue and Gold have captured the regular season OAC Championship. It's also the first under the guidance of head coach Beth Andrews '15.

"It's something very special," Andrews said after the game. "Coming in, being able to experience something like this and finishing it with the senior class, it just feels like it was supposed to happen. They did just a great job preparing and knowing what they had to do. You could see that on the floor. They executed."

With the trophy comes the honor of being the No. 1 seed and right to play at home for every OAC Tournament game. JCU is 33-2 (6-0 in 2021) at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center over the last three years. 

Tonight's win would have been difficult without Abby Adler. In her 76th career start, Adler scored a career-high 23 points, including 11 in the pivotal opening quarter.

After falling down 10-7, Adler hit back-to-back 3-pointers that sparked an 11-point run that quickly turned into an 18-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

"I think that was one of the first games where we played at our full potential," Adler admitted. "We've had games where we showed little snippets of it but this was the first time we put it all together. We were playing our best and that helped me."

In the second quarter, the Blue Streaks were firing on all cylinders with the help of reigning OAC Player of the Year, Olivia Nagy. 

Through the first 5:34, JCU scored all 16 points and built an 18-point lead that ensured the Cardinals chased from behind for the remainder of the game. 

Nagy had a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double that put the Blue and Gold ahead 42-24 at halftime.

"Liv knows what she's capable of and we try to set her up for success," Andrews said. "She knows she is going to be double-teamed. The guards did a good job in the first quarter of hitting shots. Once they hit those shots, it loosened up the inside. They were able to pass it into her and she finished."

During the first 3:32 of the third quarter, both teams traded baskets. Adler put a stop to it with a layup that sparked a 7-0 run that closed the door on any potential comeback by the Cardinals. 

Adler scored 12 of JCU's 23 points in the third stanza.

"She's one of the most unselfish players that I have ever seen," Andrews said of Adler. 
"You see her sacrifice her body every single night for this team. I was just happy to see everything connect for her and for all of her hard work to be recognized."

Otterbein left its mark in the final quarter by outscoring JCU, 21-13. 

The Blue Streaks received key performances from a pair of seniors.

Dani Carlson aided the team with 16 points and two steals. The 2018-19 OAC Player of the Year, Nicole Heffington, added 10 points and a team-high five assists. 

John Carroll received help off the bench from Kaelyn Underwood and Gabrielle Gevaudan. Underwood had a career-high four blocks and Gevaudan led the team in steals with three. 

Tomorrow night, the Blue Streaks will close out the regular season at the Rike Center in Westerville for a 6 p.m. tipoff against the Cardinals. 

The first round of the OAC Tournament is slated for Monday, March 1. The Blue Streaks have a first-round bye, hosting an OAC Quarterfinal on Tuesday, March 2.
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