Goodwell, OK - College of the Ozarks wasted no time asserting control Saturday afternoon, surging to a 27-8 first-quarter lead and never looking back in an 81-43 road victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State at Anchor D Arena in a Sooner Athletic Conference matchup.

The Lady Cats’ decisive run came right out of the gate, as Logan Jones opened the scoring with a jumper and College of the Ozarks strung together defensive stops to ignite a dominant 27-point opening quarter. A buzzer-beating layup from Ashlen Garrett capped the explosive start and set the tone for a defense-driven performance that limited the Aggies to just 27.3% shooting from the field.

College of the Ozarks maintained that momentum in the second quarter, extending the margin behind strong perimeter shooting and second-chance opportunities. Zoe Hinze knocked down an early three-pointer to push the lead beyond 20, and Garrett later added another triple as the Lady Cats built a commanding 45-18 halftime advantage. By the break, the visitors had forced Oklahoma Panhandle State into rushed shots while capitalizing with efficient trips to the free-throw line.

Any thoughts of an Aggies comeback were quickly silenced in the third quarter. Savannah Ketchum scored inside early to make it 49-20, and the Lady Cats continued to string together scoring runs while locking down defensively, holding OPSU to just seven points in the period. Aspen Cone converted a three-point play, and an Allyssa Joyner three-pointer in the final minute stretched the lead to 63-21 and then 66-23, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Ketchum led a balanced College of the Ozarks attack with 15 points and 11 rebounds, including four offensive boards. The Lady Cats consistently punished the Aggies at the free-throw line, where Ketchum went 11-for-14 and Jones delivered a perfect 9-for-9 performance while finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds. Hinze provided a perimeter spark with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, while Joyner added 12 points, two three-pointers, five rebounds, and two steals.

As a team, College of the Ozarks shot 24-of-63 (38.1%) from the field and 7-of-23 from three-point range, but separated themselves at the line by converting 26-of-34 free throws. The Lady Cats also controlled the glass with a 45-37 rebounding advantage, including 17 offensive rebounds, and turned defense into offense by forcing 23 turnovers while committing just 11. Oklahoma Panhandle State finished 15-of-55 from the field and 5-of-17 from deep, going 8-of-12 at the line.

Oklahoma Panhandle State was led by Zamari Reece with seven points and Tryssa Dowd with six, including a second-quarter transition layup that briefly slowed the momentum. The Aggies found more rhythm in the fourth quarter with 18 points, highlighted by a late three-pointer from Serenity Casteel, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome as College of the Ozarks secured the 38-point SAC road win.