February 24, 2000
Otterbein ends 'Berg's season
WESTERVILLE -- Heidelberg trailed by just a point at halftime and was 9 of 16 from 3-point range, but Otterbein's size eventually overwhelmed the visitors and Heidelberg's season ended with an 89-81 loss in the OAC Tournament quarterfinals.
Neither team held a lead of more than four points during the first half, and the game was tied on four occasions. The 'Berg (11-14), which lost twice to the Cardinals during the regular season, took a 39-37 lead with 2:58 to go in the half on Kory Winkler's jumper. A 3-pointer by Otterbein's Pat Noles and a jumper by Scott Elliott helped the Cardinals go back on top by three, but Nate Walters hit two free throws for Heidelberg to cut the halftime edge to 42-41. Each team shot 17 of 32 from the field in the first half.
Otterbein's win was due in great part to its performances at the foul line and on the boards. The Cardinals shot 24 of 33 at the line compared to 6-10 for Heidelberg and outrebounded Heidelberg, 43-31.
A three-point play by Jason Dutcher, a trey from Noles and a Jeff Gibbs bucket made it 63-54 Otterbein, but later Randy Evans brought The 'Berg back with a layup and two foul shots sandwiched around a Walters score, making it 79-76. The Cardinals built the lead back up to nine. Evans hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to make it 85-79, but Heidelberg could get no closer.
Evans had 21 points and Walters added 17 for Heidelberg, which put four players in double figures. Winkler scored 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers as did Evans, and Ryan Neimic scored 12. Jon Otterbacher scored seven points.
Winkler and Walters, each 1,000-point career scorers playing their final game in a Heidelberg uniform, had five assists each, and Otterbacher handed out four. Otterbacher had four steals, and Niemic and Winkler had seven rebounds each.
The Cardinals, who shot 30 of 59 for the game, Dutcher had 27 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, and Jeff Gibbs had 21 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.
Otterbein moves on to face John Carroll at Ohio Northern in the semifinals. John Carroll beat Muskingum 91-89 on a shot with one second left in overtime. Baldwin-Wallace and ONU square off in the other semifinal.