The Otterbein men’s basketball team’s historic run came to a close over spring break.
Otterbein finished their season with an overall record of 23-6 after losing in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament. This was their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002.
The men finished their regular season at 21-4, which earned them a first-round bye in the OAC tournament. This led to their runner-up finish after losing to Heidelberg University in the OAC championship on Feb. 28.
Despite their OAC championship hopes being crushed, the men snuck into the NCAA Division III tournament where they took their first-round win against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on March 6.
While the men were ranked 24th nationally, they were knocked out of the tournament in the second round by the No. 6 nationally ranked University of Chicago on March 7, losing by 15 points.
Despite their loss, the men accomplished a spectacular season. Senior Julian Heckman grabbed the 25th spot on the all-time scoring list, finishing his career with 1,224 points.
“Obviously, living the dream and being a part of March Madness was super cool,” said senior forward Mason Stuck. “Winning that game against Platteville was one of the coolest memories I have as a part of the team.”
After finishing an outstanding final season, Stuck looked back at his career and said he is proud to be a Cardinal.
“It was a bit of a whirlwind of a year in terms of expectations and what happened,” senior guard Reece Huber said. “It was an honor and a great challenge. I don't think people had very high expectations (for us) coming into the year. It was kinda a ‘prove them wrong’ mindset.”
Womens basketball NCAA follow-up
