Paragould, AR - College of the Ozarks (1-0) built a 28-point second-half lead, then answered a late rally with an 8-0 closing run to defeat Crowley’s Ridge (AR) (0-2) 83-64 on Monday, Nov. 2, at Carter Activities Center in Paragould, Arkansas. The Bobcats shot 54.2% from the field.

Bryce Butler opened the scoring with a layup before Cole Nichols’ 3-pointer gave Crowley’s Ridge its only lead, 5-4. Themba Tshuma answered with a layup off Brenley Hagewood’s assist at 16:13 to put the Bobcats ahead for good. Sammy Smith’s layup off a pass from Brady Reynolds established a 19-8 advantage, but Kyzer Phillips cut the margin to 21-13 with a 3-pointer at 10:55. Andrew Dalton responded with a layup on the next scoring possession.

Jaiden Wilson added a 3-pointer with 2:52 left in the first half, and Tshuma’s layup with a minute remaining sent the Bobcats into halftime ahead 42-26. Tshuma scored 13 points before the break and Dalton added 12. Tshuma finished with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and six rebounds, while Dalton totaled 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Butler drove the second-half surge, scoring 14 of their 18 points after halftime. A steal and layup by Butler preceded Landen Campbell’s 3-pointer for a 51-30 lead. Wilson’s steal later led to another Butler layup, and Butler hit a 3-pointer at 12:44 to stretch the margin to 63-35. Hagewood restored the 28-point cushion with a layup at 11:45. Butler finished 8-of-12 from the field with six rebounds.

Crowley’s Ridge responded with a 10-0 run capped by Phillips’ basket at 7:58. Dalton ended the Bobcats’ drought with a layup, but Malik Escoffery brought the hosts within 68-56 with five minutes left. Garrett Snyder answered with a layup and finished with eight points. After an Ozarks turnover, David Brewer scored at 2:13 to make it 75-64, the hosts’ closest second-half margin.

Tshuma stopped the rally with an offensive rebound and layup at 1:58, then scored again off Dalton’s assist at 1:36. Hagewood made both free throws at 1:23, and Butler converted Dalton’s pass into the game’s final basket at 1:03. Hagewood finished with eight points, four rebounds and four assists. Wilson contributed four assists and three steals, while Reynolds collected six rebounds.

The Bobcats outscored Crowley’s Ridge 52-36 in the paint and recorded 19 assists while holding the hosts to 32.4% shooting. Crowley’s Ridge countered with a 40-37 rebounding edge, including 16 offensive boards, and a 13-7 advantage in second-chance points. Nichols led the hosts with 15 points, Phillips added 10 and Escoffery finished with nine points and seven rebounds.

The Bobcats continue in non-conference play this Saturday at 3:15 PM when they host Ecclesia College for the annual College of the Ozarks Homecoming game.