POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. — College of the Ozarks came within one defensive stop of a signature home win Thursday night, but Langston University converted a late layup with 20 seconds left in overtime to hand the Lady Cats a 79-78 loss in a conference thriller in Point Lookout.

The Lions forced overtime when Alexandria Jefferson buried a 3-pointer from the wing with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 71-71. College of the Ozarks had a late lead in regulation, but the Lions were able to extend the game and took the lead in the extra frame.

In overtime, College of the Ozarks traded momentum swings with Langston in a back-and-forth five minutes. The Lady Cats briefly grabbed the lead before Langston’s Areyanna Hunter shifted the momentum with a 3-pointer at the 4:19 mark to make it 74-73. After College of the Ozarks battled to stay within a possession, two free throws from Langston’s Dauzhanay Harden pushed the margin to 76-73. The Lady Cats continued attacking and earning trips to the line, but Hunter struck again with a drive to the rim, scoring the go-ahead layup with 20 seconds remaining that held up as the game-winner.

College of the Ozarks created its opportunity through consistent work at the free-throw line and on the glass. The Lady Cats shot 29-for-36 at the stripe (80.6 percent), converting aggressive drives and inside play into points despite shooting 31.4 percent from the field (22 of 70) and 19.2 percent from 3-point range (5 of 26). They also outrebounded Langston 45-40, including 15 offensive rebounds that helped extend possessions and keep the Lady Cats within striking distance all night.

Ashlen Garrett led the Lady Cats with 17 points, five rebounds and three steals, finishing 8-for-10 at the free-throw line. Keara Mattingley delivered one of the most complete performances of the night with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and five blocks, anchoring College of the Ozarks on both ends. Abigail McBride added a strong interior presence with 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds while shooting 4-for-7 from the field.

College of the Ozarks set the tone early, building a 20-16 lead after the first quarter behind defensive intensity and timely scoring. The Lady Cats carried a 37-32 advantage into halftime, answering a late Langston push when Germari Harris hit a 3-pointer to trim the margin just before the break. The visitors clawed back in the third quarter, using pressure defense and transition chances to erase the deficit and pull even at 37-37 on a layup by Janiyah Tucker with 9:31 left in the period. From there, neither team led by more than a few possessions as the game tightened late.

Defensively, the Lady Cats held Langston to 35.1 percent shooting (26 of 74) and 32 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 25) while recording nine blocks and four steals. Turnovers, however, proved costly, as College of the Ozarks committed 18 compared with 10 for Langston, creating extra opportunities that ultimately made the difference in a one-point overtime game.

Despite the narrow defeat, the Lady Cats showcased balanced production throughout the lineup and strong free-throw shooting, College of the Ozarks put itself in position to defeat a quality opponent and will look to build on the performance moving forward.