McKenzie, TN - College of the Ozarks (1-1) cut a 22-point deficit to 10 but could not complete the comeback in a 74-58 loss to Bethel (TN) (2-0) on Friday, Oct. 30, in McKenzie, Tenn. MJ Simmons scored 13 fourth-quarter points to help Bethel turn back the Lady Cats’ rally.

Bethel opened with eight unanswered points before Ashlen Garrett’s layup started a 6-0 response, capped by two Logan Jones free throws with 4:56 left in the first quarter. Adalyn Koelling’s 3-pointer helped Bethel take a 19-10 lead into the second. Susanna Moran scored eight of the Lady Cats’ 12 second-quarter points, including a layup following a steal, but Bethel continued to build its advantage. Micah Hart’s layup with 24 seconds remaining sent the Lady Cats into halftime trailing 43-22.

Hart extended the margin to 48-26 with 7:43 left in the third quarter before the Lady Cats outscored Bethel 17-5 over the rest of the quarter. Garrett supplied 10 points and four steals in that stretch, converting a layup and one free throw after a steal, then starting an 11-0 quarter-ending run with a 3-pointer. Jones added a 3-pointer with a minute left, and Abigail McBride followed Garrett’s fourth steal with a basket at the 29-second mark to make it 53-43.

Simmons answered with a putback layup and one free throw early in the fourth. Jones made two free throws after a steal to pull the Lady Cats within 56-45 with 8:32 remaining, their closest margin of the quarter. McBride later hit a 3-pointer off an assist from Allyssa Joyner, but Bethel responded with six straight points. Simmons capped that run with another putback for a 67-48 lead with 4:34 left.

Jones scored 10 points in the fourth, including a layup and one free throw that trimmed the deficit to 67-53 with 3:10 remaining. Garrett made the Lady Cats’ final field goal with 1:50 left, bringing them within 70-57. Simmons scored Bethel’s last basket with 18 seconds remaining, and the Lady Cats added one free throw with four seconds left.

Jones finished with 19 points and six rebounds while making all eight free-throw attempts. Moran recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Garrett added 14 points, six rebounds and four steals on 6-of-12 shooting, while McBride scored 10 points. Simmons led Bethel with 21 points and seven rebounds, Hart scored 16 and Koelling and Kylie Reynolds added 10 apiece. Mikee Buchanan contributed nine points and eight rebounds.

The Lady Cats committed nine turnovers, collected nine steals and held a 12-8 edge in points off turnovers. Bethel countered with a 35-31 rebounding advantage and a 16-4 margin in second-chance points. The Lady Cats shot 20-of-58 from the field (34.5%) and 3-of-15 from 3-point range, compared with Bethel’s 28-of-62 shooting (45.2%) and 7-of-22 performance beyond the arc.

The Lady Cats will next face Champion Christian College on Friday, November 6 at 7:00.