The College of the Ozarks opens Sooner Athletic Conference Basketball play with a pair of wins at Point Lookout.

The recap of the Women's and Men's Games are below from College of the Ozarks Sports Information:

C of O Women 70 Oklahoma Panhandle State 54

The College of the Ozarks Lady Bobcats opened SAC play in impressive fashion, defeating Oklahoma Panhandle State 70–54 at Point Lookout, Missouri, on Thursday.

The contest began with Oklahoma Panhandle State jumping out to an early advantage, but the Lady Cats quickly answered with a layup from Keara Mattingley. Allyssa Joyner knocked down a key three to help the Lady Cats build early momentum, stretching its lead to as many as six points in the opening quarter. The first period closed with C of O holding a slim 15–14 edge.

The second quarter saw multiple lead changes, as OPSU briefly pulled ahead before the hosts regained control. Strong defensive efforts, highlighted by blocks from Joyner and Logan Jones, helped swing the tempo back in the Lady Cats ‘favor. At the break, C of O held a narrow 31–29 lead.

In the third quarter, the Lady Cats took control of the game, dominating play in the paint and extending their advantage to 16 points, the largest lead of the night. A surge of fast-break points helped push the score to 58–42 by the end of the period. In the final quarter, key contributions from bench players Savannah Ketchum and Avery Arnold, along with a timely three from Ashlen Garrett, helped the Lady Cats continue to build their lead. The contest closed with the College of the Ozarks earning a solid 70–54 victory.

Keara Mattingley paced the Lady Cats with 18 points, while Allyssa Joyner followed with 16. Ashlen Garrett added 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while also making a strong impact on the defensive end. The matchup marked the Sooner Athletic Conference season opener, giving the Lady Cats a strong start as they improved to 4–2 on the year. College of the Ozarks will look ahead to its next matchup against Wayland Baptist on Saturday at 2 PM at Keeter Gym.

C of O Men 73 Oklahoma Panhandle State 56

The College of the Ozarks men’s basketball team earned an impressive win over Oklahoma Panhandle State in their SAC season opener on Thursday. The Bobcats put on a strong performance in front of their home crowd and came away with a 73-56 win.

Oklahoma Panhandle State struck first with an early jumper by Aaron Williams Jr., but the Bobcats quickly settled into a rhythm behind a strong stretch of play from Garrett Snyder. The Bobcats erased the early deficit and built a seven-point advantage during the period before closing the half with a narrow 28–27 lead. Jay Baxter added a key layup, set up by DJ Quarles, that helped maintain the team’s momentum.

The Bobcats began to pull away in the second half as Andrew Dalton knocked down key three-pointers to push the lead higher. Jay Baxter added strong defense with several blocks that stopped scoring chances. Snyder and Dalton kept the offense steady and consistent. By the final buzzer, C of O held a 73–56 lead. The team’s defense, rebounding from Themba Tshuma, and balanced scoring showed the Bobcats’ strengths throughout the half.

Garrett Snyder led all scorers with 28 points, while Andrew Dalton added 18 points and Themba Tshuma recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. DJ Quarles contributed five assists and added strong defensive pressure with a steal.

The College of the Ozarks Bobcats will host Wayland Baptist University on Saturday, as they look to carry their momentum forward. Entering the matchup at 2–2 overall and 1–0 in SAC play, the Bobcats aim to keep building confidence and strengthen their position in the conference race.