POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. — The College of the Ozarks Lady Cats earned a 79–34 win over Central Christian College (Kan.) on Saturday afternoon behind strong defense and steady play in the paint.

The Lady Cats took control early, opening the game with a 24–11 first-quarter lead and maintaining separation throughout. College of the Ozarks held Central Christian to 19.0 percent shooting from the field (11 of 58) and limited the Tigers to just four points in the fourth quarter.

Keara Mattingley led the Lady Cats with 19 points and 16 rebounds in 27 minutes, shooting 7-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. Logan Jones recorded a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, while Ashlen Garrett added seven points and 10 rebounds.

College of the Ozarks set the tone early on both ends of the court. A 3-pointer from Jones midway through the first quarter helped extend the lead, and Garrett connected from long range late in the period to push the margin to double digits. The Lady Cats went into halftime ahead 44–19 and continued to control the game through consistent defense and second-chance scoring.

College of the Ozarks controlled play inside, finishing with a 57–26 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive boards. The Lady Cats turned those extra possessions into steady scoring, shooting 40.3 percent from the field (27 of 67), 32.0 percent from 3-point range (8 of 25), and 17 of 21 at the free-throw line.

Central Christian found some success from the perimeter in the middle quarters. Chloe Clevenger led the Tigers with 11 points and three steals, knocking down a 3-pointer just before halftime. Madyson George and Charmayne Marshall each connected from long range early in the third quarter, and Clevenger added another 3 midway through the period, but Central Christian struggled to sustain offense against the Lady Cats’ half-court defense.

College of the Ozarks pulled away further in the fourth quarter. Logan Jones opened the period with a layup, Ashlen Garrett followed with a 3-pointer, and Aspen Cone’s late triple pushed the lead to its largest margin. Zoe Hinze provided a spark off the bench with six points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.

The win reflected a balanced effort and strong defense from the Lady Cats, who assisted on 15 of their 27 made field goals and held Central Christian to 6-of-28 shooting from beyond the arc. College of the Ozarks will look to carry that momentum forward as it continues its home stretch in Point Lookout.