By: Athletic Commiunications Student Assistant Paige Phillips '23

BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team fell to Otterbein University in an Ohio Athletic Conference game by a final score of 80-76 in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center. 

BW Leaders (4-5, 1-3 OAC)

• Senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC guard Anthony Mazzeo (North Canton/Massillon Jackson) led the Yellow Jackets with 19 points, one assist, and two rebounds.
• Senior All-OAC guard Jake Snyder (Stow/Archbishop Hoban) added 18 points and eight assists.
• Sophomore forward Zoltan Nagy (Lakewood/St. Edward) posted his first career double-double with a career-high 11 points and a career-high 11 boards. 

Otterbein Leaders (7-2, 1-0 OAC)

• The Cardinals were led by Cam Evans who tallied 28 points, with one assist and five boards.
• Dallas Patrick had an additional 16 points.

First Half (36-34 BW)

• The Yellow Jackets came out hot as they kicked the game off with a 12-4 run to take an early lead.
• After some back-and-forth action, the Cardinals went on a 7-2 run that cut BW's lead down to two.
• Two back-to-back layups from Price jumpstarted a 10-2 run to extend the Yellow Jacket lead.
• Otterbein closed the half with a 11-4 run that minimized the Yellow Jacket lead to two.
• Sophomore guard Ashton Price (Bay Village/Bay) led the scoring for BW in the first half with nine points and one assist.
• Mazzeo added seven points, while Snyder supported with five assists.
• Leading the Cardinals in the first half was Evans with 10 points.

Second Half (80-76 Otterbein)

• The beginning of the second half features some back and forth action until a 9-2 run for the Yellow Jackets pushed them ahead.
• Before the Yellow Jackets could reach a double-digit lead, the Cardinals went on a 11-2 run to tie up the score with 13:16 left.
• With 10:24 left in the game, a three-point shot from Rains gave Otterbein their first lead of the game.
• An 8-2 run from Otterbein extended their lead, however a pair of threes from Mazzeo got some momentum going for the Yellow Jackets with 5:34 left.
• A pair of free throws at the end of the game secured an Otterbein Cardinal victory with a finals core of 80-76.
• Snyder led the Yellow Jackets in the second half with 14 points and three assists, while Mazzeo added 12 points.
• Evans led Otterbein in the second half with 18 points.

The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Monday, December 19^th when they host non-conference opponent La Roche (Pa.) University in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Rec Center at 7:00 p.m.