Waxahachie, TX - College of the Ozarks used a dominant defensive effort and a standout performance from Logan Jones to pull away from Nelson (Texas) for a 68-45 road win on Saturday at the Sheaffer Center in Waxahachie, Texas.

Jones led the Lady Cats with 23 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 9 of 18 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range while playing all 40 minutes. Her fourth-quarter 3-pointer pushed the margin to 68-43 and effectively sealed a game that College of the Ozarks controlled from the opening tip, as the Lady Cats outscored Nelson in every quarter and built steadily on an early lead.

College of the Ozarks opened with a 10-0 run, sparked by an early 3-pointer from Jones and a layup by Allyssa Joyner off a feed from Keara Mattingley. Nelson trimmed the deficit late in the first quarter with free throws from Paris Miller, but the Lady Cats still held a 20-13 advantage after eight minutes. Nelson briefly surged in the second quarter behind multiple 3-pointers from Miller to pull within 20-19 before C of O answered with a composed response.

Abby McBride halted Nelson’s rally by converting a layup and completing the three-point play to move the lead back to 25-21, part of a 16-point second quarter that kept College of the Ozarks in front 36-28 at halftime. From there, the Lady Cats tightened their defense and controlled the glass, out-rebounding Nelson 46-28 for the game, including a 15-8 edge on the offensive boards. College of the Ozarks limited Nelson to 24.1% shooting (14 of 58) from the field and just 18.2% (6 of 33) from beyond the arc.

The Lady Cats created more separation in the third quarter, using inside scoring and second-chance opportunities to extend the margin. Mattingley finished in the paint to make it 38-28, and Joyner’s layup with 2:21 left in the period pushed the lead to 53-38, giving College of the Ozarks its first sizable cushion. The Lady Cats outscored Nelson 19-12 in the frame to take a 55-40 lead into the fourth.

College of the Ozarks then put the game away with a 13-5 scoring advantage in the final period. Jones scored on an early layup to maintain a comfortable margin at 57-40, and the Lady Cats continued to string together stops, holding Nelson to just five points over the last 10 minutes. McBride finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three steals in 37 minutes, while Joyner added 7 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in a well-rounded effort.

Overall, the Lady Cats shot 39.2% from the field (29 of 74) and assisted on 13 of their 29 made baskets while committing 13 turnovers. Nelson recorded 7 blocks and 11 assists but was unable to overcome its shooting struggles. Miller paced Nelson with 11 points and 5 rebounds, and Abby Boyce added 8 points. The Lady Cats' balanced scoring, rebounding advantage and sustained defensive pressure carried them to the 23-point conference road victory over the top team in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings.