Otterbein women's basketball prepares for tonight's Semifinal game in the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament (OAC), tipping off at 8pm in the Rike Center.
Otterbein is ranked No. 2 in the conference and will be facing off against the No. 3 seed, Mount Union, after their win against the No. 6 seed, Marietta, on Tuesday. Mount Union has a 9-7 in-conference record with the most scoring and rebounding in the OAC, and is coming in off a five-game winning streak. Otterbein has the least amount of turnovers in the OAC, and is coming in off a seven-game winning streak, not to mention they've defeated Mount Union twice this season.
Otterbein and Baldwin Wallace were given a bye in the tournament, so Otterbein comes into tonight's game with the advantage of extra time to rest and prepare, but also having the advantage of a home game. It's certainly an earned reward, after the basketball team went 20-5 in the regular season, the first time securing 20 wins in over ten years. The team also majorly improved their in-conference record from just last season, going from 8-10 to 14-2.
Otterbein is still a pretty young team, with three sophomores, a freshman, and a junior in the starting lineup. Sophomore criminology major Mattie Walburn said the team is "excited and focused" for the game. "We're just playing our basketball, sticking to our fundamentals. We are working on specific things for the specific team we're playing, but we're gonna keep doing what we're doing, what has been successful for us", she said.
According to Walburn, a key difference from last season that's helped them reach this point has been consistent offense. "It's really nice, I think we've got a lot of scorers on our team this year, and I think it's really contributed to our offensive flow", she said. Walburn herself is the team's leading scorer. "I wouldn't be here without my team", Walburn said, in regards to that position. "I just wouldn't get the shots I get without them, so I can't take much of the credit for that", she continued.
The team's success also stems from operating as a collective, with collective goals, Walburn said. "We just work so well together."
"Everyone shows up, and there's a next man up mentality", Walburn said about overcoming adversities this season. "There's a great attitude towards that and we just want to help each other get better. It's really good to have a team like that". She mentioned how the team captains, Juju Grubich, Anna Waskiewicz, and Kyla Irby, have been other key players that have stepped up in leadership roles on and off the court.
The women's team is hoping to keep the season going tonight, but they feed off of the fans' energy, Walburn said, so they'll need people to "come out and support, and be loud".
For more information, go to OAC tournament and OAC women's basketball.
