WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein had four players in double figures en route to an 80-56 win over visiting Frostburg  State in the opening round of the Smokey Ballenger Classic, Friday night.

 The host Cardinals (8-3) never trailed in the ballgame and controlled the contest from the opening tip to the final horn. Otterbein led by as many as 16 points in the first half and pushed its lead to a game-high 24 points several times in the second half.

Frostburg (4-7) had three starters in double-figures, led by sophomore guard Ronje' James with 12 points. Senior Steph Straka and junior Elaina Hummel each added 11 points while Hummel led the way with seven rebounds.

Otterbein held a commanding 40-11 advantage in bench points behind a game-high 17 from Madi Miller. Tabatha Piper led the starting lineup with 13 points.

The Cardinals used an 8-0 jolt in the opening half that increased their lead from 8-4 to 16-4 over a six minute stretch. Frostburg trimmed the deficit to eight points twice in the closing minutes of the first half, but trailed 35-21 at the break.

The Bobcats kept the deficit around 15 points for first 15 minutes of the second stanza until the hosts grabbed a 70-50 lead at 4:12. Back-to-back baskets increased the Otterbein lead to 24 before winning by the same amount, 80-56.

Frostburg State returns for the second day of the classic tomorrow when it faces Wisconsin Eau-Claire at 1:00 pm.