Point Lookout, MO - The College of the Ozarks Bobcats entered the 2025 NCCAA DI Basketball National Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the field. Having swept through the Regional Tournament the Bobcats advanced to the eight-team national championship, which was hosted at the College of the Ozarks. After an overtime loss to the #2 seed on opening night, the Bobcats finished the season strong by securing a pair of victories to close out the tournament and wrapped up the 2024-2025 campaign by winning four of their final five games. The Bobcats will have a solid core returning next year and there is much to look forward to.

Information provided by the NCCAA.

#2 Nelson University Arizona - 93, #7 College of the Ozarks – 92 (OT)

• Harley Upton began the game with a highlight play just a few minutes in, hitting an off-balance layup to give Nelson University Arizona a 9-5 lead early against the host (7) College of the Ozarks. 
• The two sides could not miss in the final 10 minutes of the first half combining for 50 points. Both sides would shoot above 45% from the field in the first half, as Ozarks held a 40-39 advantage at the break. Garrett Snyder led all scorers for the Bobcats with 17 first half points. 
• Garrett Snyder continued his outstanding shooting performance, helping Ozarks get off to a great start to begin the second half. He hit a three that was quickly followed by a pair of DJ Quarles layups to give the Bobcats their largest lead of the game, 51-43. 
• Nelson Arizona would fight right back into the game with a dunk from Zaveion Bineyard that forced an Ozarks timeout and brought the deficit to two with 15:22 to play. 
• The lead would change hands for the 11th time at the 6:53 to play mark after Harley Upton hit a three for the Warriors to put them back in front 70-67. 
• Ozarks would fight right back into the lead in the final two minutes with a huge jumper from Andrew Dalton to give the Bobcats an 80-77 edge. With just 21 seconds on the clock, Harley Upton was once again a hero for Nelson Arizona hitting a three to tie the game. Ozarks had a chance to win it at the buzzer but would miss a tip-in resulting in overtime. 
• After the Warriors controlled much of the overtime, Ozarks saw Garrett Snyder hit an and-one bucket to go up 92-91 with 15 seconds to play. 
• On the final possession, after nearly turning the ball over, Zaveion Bineyard would get the ball in the lane to hit a bucket at the buzzer. Nelson would earn the 93-92 victory in overtime to advance to the NCCAA Division I Men’s Basketball semifinal round. 

#7 College of the Ozarks – 78, #6 Houghton University - 70

• College of the Ozarks got off to a great start against Houghton University, taking an 11-4 lead five minutes into the game. Garrett Snyder and DJ Quarles scored all 11 points, combining for three makes from behind the arc. 
• Of the first 11 field goals made between the two sides, eight came from behind the arc with both sides hitting their stride offensively. Houghton would respond to lead 17-16 at the first media timeout. 
• The lead would change a total of nine times in the first half with the two sides tied at 33 going into halftime. Ozarks was able to get to the line 11 times and hit all 11 free throws, while Houghton went 7-of-16 from behind the arc to stay in the game. Ozarks DJ Quarles led all scorers with 12 in the first half. 
• Through the first 10 minutes of the second half, neither side could gain a lead larger than four points. 
• Ozarks would force the 16th lead change with 5:03 to play. Following the lead change, Andrew Dalton would record a massive and-one to go up 67-63 with 4:37 to play. 
• Houghton was able to cut it to one on a Jajuan Preaster layup, but Ozarks saw Garrett Snyder step up once again, hitting a three that made it a two-possession game in the final minute to help the Bobcats secure a 78-70 win and advance to tomorrow’s fifth place game.

#7 College of the Ozarks - 93, #4 University of Fort Lauderdale - 83

• The host College of the Ozarks saw Caleb Faulkner and Andrew Dalton hit two threes in the first two minutes to make it 6-0. University of Fort Lauderdale would immediately call timeout with just 1:51 gone in the game. 
• Shortly after the timeout, Fort Lauderdale would go on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 12. DeAndre Pemberton would hit an and-one bucket in the lane to cap the run with 13:06 to play in the first half. 
• The Eagles would continue to pour it on offensively late in the first half, using a 13-2 run to move in front 34-22. Corey Pope, Matthew Brown, and Benez Woodard all hit a three in the run to force Ozarks into a timeout. 
• Jay Baxter would hit a three for the Bobcats in the final seconds of the first half to cut the deficit back to below 10, 42-33. Ozarks would struggle from behind the arc in the first half, going 5-for-23 for a 21.7% clip. 
• The Ozarks defense would step up as they started to chip away at the deficit in the second half. The Bobcats would hold Fort Lauderdale without a field goal for over four minutes as Ozarks would come back to tie the game at 51 on a pair of Garrett Snyder free throws. 
• The Eagles field goal drought would last a total of six minutes allowing College of the Ozarks to regain the lead. With 11:22 to play, Andrew Dalton would get an offensive rebound and a putback to put the Bobcats in front 53-51. 
• Kyle Flavin would hit a dagger three pointer with 8:43 to play that put the Bobcats up eight. Fort Lauderdale would increase the intensity of their full court press down the stretch, but Ozarks would continue to find ways to break it, earning the 93-83 victory to take fifth place in the NCCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championships.