The Otterbein women’s basketball team received some good news Monday afternoon, as they were selected to play in the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament.
Just last weekend, the Cards thought an OAC Tournament championship game loss to No. 3 Ohio Northern may put an end to their impressive season.
However, this was not the case, as they were selected as one of 21 at-large bids within the Division III NCAA Tournament.
Otterbein will face Maryville College (Tenn.) in their first round matchup at 5pm on March 1 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.
The Cards finished their 2012-2013 campaign with back-to-back 20-win seasons (21-6), while finishing in second place in the OAC (14-4).
They are led by senior OAC All-Tournament team member Hannah Day (16.7ppg, 6.9rpg), and sophomore Tabatha Piper (9.5ppg, 6.9rpg).
Senior Allie Leopard has mastered the controls of the Cardinals offense down the stretch, as she too was named to the OAC All-Tournament team.
Also, seniors Chelsea Cannon and Rachel Snedegar compliment the Cardinals two top scorers well, as they bring a solid post game and rebounding effort each game.
In addition, look for sophomores Chelsea Reed and Madi Miller to also play key roles in generating offense from their defensive prowess.
Throughout this season, the Cards average 65 points per game, on 41.7 percent shooting, while conversely holding their opponents to 35.8 percent shooting.
As for Maryville, they will make their 19th appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament in Friday’s matchup.
The Scots finished the season tied for first place with Ferrum and Christopher Newport in the USA South Athletic Conference (23-4, 16-2), eventually falling to Christopher Newport in the semifinals of their conference tournament.
Maryville is led by first-team all-conference senior guard Janell Menard (13.2ppg, 39 percent three-point), and senior guard Kiera Payne (12.3ppg, 49 percent shooting).
Also, freshman guard Mackenzie Puckett and senior forward Tayler Smith both average just over ten points per game to compliment the Scots offense.
As a team, Maryville is averaging 73 points per game, on 45.7 percent shooting, while conversely holding their opponents so far to 35.1 percent shooting.
For additional tournament information and for the complete bracket, click here.
Be sure to stay up to date with the latest coverage of this historic event in Otterbein athletics by following Otterbein360 on Twitter.
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