OKLAHOMA CITY — With their season hanging in the balance, College of the Ozarks delivered its most electrifying stretch of basketball of the year.

The Lady Cats stormed back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit Friday night, overwhelming Texas Wesleyan 71-54 in the second round of the SAC Basketball Tournament and punching their ticket to the SAC Championship game.

Trailing 44-33 midway through the third quarter, College of the Ozarks flipped the script in stunning fashion. The Lady Cats exploded on a 38-10 run over the final 14 minutes — turning a nine-point halftime deficit into a runaway victory. A 24-11 surge in the third erased a 39-29 halftime hole, and an emphatic 18-4 fourth-quarter blitz slammed the door shut.

Keara Mattingley ignited the comeback with a dominant double-double, pouring in a game-high 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Her driving bucket with two seconds left in the third quarter gave the Lady Cats their first lead since the opening minutes at 53-50 — a momentum-shifting moment that sent energy surging into the final period.

From there, it was all Lady Cats.

The defense tightened to a championship level, holding Texas Wesleyan to just four points in the fourth quarter. College of the Ozarks forced 18 turnovers while committing only 10 and controlled the glass with a 42-34 rebounding advantage, including 13 offensive boards that created critical second-chance opportunities.

After Texas Wesleyan built a 44-33 lead on a 3-pointer by Sophia Hurtado with 6:54 left in the third, the Lady Cats responded with relentless pressure, crisp ball movement, and timely shooting. Logan Jones added 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Ashlen Garrett contributed nine points, six rebounds, and four assists. Fourth-quarter 3-pointers from Zoe Hinze and Avery Arnold stretched the lead to 61-50, and Savannah Ketchum’s late basket put the finishing touches on the 17-point triumph.

Texas Wesleyan was led by Kameryn Phillips with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Jenae Moore added nine points on three 3-pointers. The visitors shot 20-of-58 from the field and 8-of-29 from deep, but the Lady Cats’ defensive intensity proved overwhelming. College of the Ozarks finished 26-of-64 from the field, 7-of-19 from beyond the arc, and a steady 12-of-14 from the free-throw line.

Now, the stakes get even higher.

The Lady Cats will battle Mid-America Christian (MACU) today, February 28, for the SAC Conference Championship — with an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament on the line. After Friday’s dominant second-half surge, College of the Ozarks carries serious momentum into a championship showdown with everything at stake.