Point Lookout, MO - In a close Sooner Athletic Conference battle on Saturday, the College of the Ozarks Bobcats fell in a tough one to Mid-America Christian University with a final score of 85-77 at Keeter Gym. Despite strong performances from the Bobcats, they couldn't secure a win against the Evangels, who currently hold the second position in the conference standings.

The game started with Mid-America Christian taking a lead early, setting themselves up with a 39-35 lead at the intermission. Despite deficit, the Bobcats, led by Andrew Dalton who scored a notable 20 points, Jay Baxter with 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Garrett Snyder adding 14 points, fought hard to close in on the Evangels in the second half. The never say die attitude of the Bobcats was evident as they continued to challenge MACU, minimizing the gap multiple times throughout the latter half of the game.

As the game neared its completion, key plays by Mid-America Christian in the final minutes sealed their victory. In spite of the loss, key players from both teams made impacts throughout the game. For Mid-America Christian, Juwan White scored an impressive 18 points, while Magok Manyang also made significant contributions with 12 points and crucial defensive plays including 2 blocks.

The Bobcats next challenge will be on the road against the University of Science & Arts on February 6 in Chickasha, Oklahoma, providing College of the Ozarks an opportunity to bounce back and get back in the win column and improve their conference standings.