Westerville, Ohio – In a hard-fought battle to close out the year, the Oberlin College women's basketball team fell to Otterbein 60-56. Angela Kumler was named the Smokey Ballenger Classic MVP after finishing with 42 points, seven steals, and five rebounds. The Yeowomen drop to 7-5 on the year.
 
Kumler led the scoring with 22 points while pulling away an impressive five steals. Kumler and Camille Zinaich both dished out four assists, with Ziniach adding to the offense with 12 points. The senior and Krystal Montas split rebounding duties, each grabbing eight boards in the game. Katherine Csiszar also contributed to the defense with a pair of blocks and a steal.
 
After falling behind in the early minutes of the game, back-to-back three-pointers from Csiszar and Lily Najmulski ignited the Crimson and Gold offense. A jumper from Zinaich tied the game at 14-14, just before a layup from Kumler gave Oberlin the two-point lead.
 
The Yeowomen mounted a string of buckets together, extending their lead to six with 1:27 remaining in the half. With the final four points belonging to the Cardinals, Oberlin sat on top of the game 27-25 at the half.
 
Just six seconds into the third period, Kumler knocked down a triple to set the tone for the Crimson and Gold. Otterbein challenged the Yeowomen, shooting point-for-point with the visitors. After holding the largest lead of the afternoon at eight points, Oberlin saw a pair of rebounds fall the way of the Cardinals, giving way to a 6-0 run to close the quarter.
 
Down 41-40 heading into the final minutes of play, Gabby Peña-Hilzen put Oberlin back at distance with a shot from behind the arch. Kumler scored again for the Yeowomen in the following possession, but Otterbein took advantage of Oberlin's miscues to reclaim the lead at 47-46. Coming down to the wire, a tip-in from Montas brought the deficit to two with just 35 seconds remaining. A missed shot by the Cardinals gave Oberlin a chance to score the equalizer, but a foul on the rebound gave way to a pair of free throws that clinched the win for Otterbein.
 
After finishing their non-conference schedule, Oberlin returns to home court for their next match on Saturday, January 4. Taking on Ohio Wesleyan, the Yeowomen are set to tip off at 4 p.m.

Fans can keep up with their favorite teams on Instagram, Facebook, X, or TikTok, and watch all the home matches live online. The Crimson and Gold's home broadcasts can be accessed on TV through the official Oberlin College Sports Network app on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.