Point Lookout, MO – The College of the Ozarks Bobcats returned to the hardwood looking for their fourth consecutive win on Saturday at Keeter Gymnasium. Facing the Pioneers of Crowley’s Ridge College, the Bobcats were planning a repeat performance of an 80-64 win over the Pioneers in Paragould, AR on January 6.

The Pioneers had different plans and came in firing. CRC jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, but the Bobcats answered with a pair of Garrett Snyder threes and buckets by Jay Baxter and Andrew Dalton. With the Bobcats taking a 12-9 lead, the defense for both teams stepped up and neither team could put points on the board. Caleb Faulkner broke through with his first points of the contest, but the Pioneers quickly answered. Faulkner and Snyder teamed up for the next eight points and the Bobcats were building a lead. With 9:43 remaining in the half, a Pioneer basket cut the gap to 22-17. A Tyler Moore traditional three-point play bumped the Bobcat lead and the defense was looking for stops. The Pioneers continued to challenge, and the Bobcats needed to hold strong. Defense took over for both teams and scoring was difficult on both ends. Caleb Faulkner connected from beyond the arc to break the Bobcats dry spell, but the Pioneers responded with a bucket of their own in the paint. A pair of Garrett Snyder free throws boosted the score to 32-23 with 4:29 left in the half. The Pioneers hit a three to cut the gap, but Kyle Flavin promptly responded with a three of his own. A trio of Pioneer free throws cut the Bobcat lead to 35-31 and the Bobcats needed some offense. Brady Reynolds powered up inside for two then converted a traditional three-point play on the next possession to boost the lead to 40-31. A Pioneer three was answered by a Faulkner bucket and the Bobcats took a 42-34 lead to the intermission.

Garrett Snyder connected on four consecutive free throws to open the second half scoring and connected on a three to answer a Pioneer basket. The Pioneers were not going away however, and a three for the visitors forced a Bobcat timeout. Jay Baxter and Kyle Flavin teamed up for a pair of baskets and Caleb Faulkner connected from deep to give the Bobcats their biggest lead, 56-41. The Bobcats were picking up stops and adding points and Andrew Dalton joined in to help the Bobcats pull away. The Pioneers turned up the pressure however, and a 7-1 run cut the lead to 59-48 with 10:58 left to play. The defense for both teams stepped up over the next few minutes and the Pioneers were slowly chipping away at the lead. Flavin and Snyder each drained a two and the Bobcat lead was 65-54 with 7:30 remaining. The Pioneers continued to apply pressure and the Bobcats needed to produce a run of their own. The defense continued to hold but the Bobcat offense had cooled off. A pair of Pioneer free throws cut the gap to 65-56 and the Bobcats took a timeout to regroup with 5:52 left to play. Kyle Flavin answered the call out of the huddle and drained a deep three and the clock became the biggest opponent for the Bobcats. A Jay Baxter steal and basket was followed by a Faulkner two and the Bobcat lead grew to 73-58. The Pioneers answered with a three and took a timeout to prepare for their final push. Full court pressure ensued, and the Bobcats were tasked with protecting the ball. With pressure defense comes open scoring opportunities and Caleb Faulkner was found open under the basket for two. A Jay Baxter jam roused the crowd and bumped the bobcat lead to 77-61. With time winding down, the Pioneers were looking for big shots and the Bobcats were looking for defensive stops. A three for the visitors forced a Bobcat timeout and with 1:10 left to play, the Bobcats were holding a 77-66 advantage. A pioneer steal and a quick three amped up the intensity and the next 1:02 would be full of defensive pressure on the Bobcats. The Pioneers began fouling to put the Bobcats on the line and the charity stripe would be vital down the stretch. Garrett Snyder connected for two from the line and Jay Baxter followed with one of his own. The Pioneers struggled to connect from beyond the arc and Caleb Faulkner was the recipient of the next two free throws. Connecting on both, the Bobcat lead grew to 82-69. Garrett Snyder drained the next two free throws before CRC hit a three. Andrew Dalton sank a pair from the line and CRC connected from downtown again. The Bobcats were able to run the clock down on the next possession to secure the 86-75 win.

Garrett Snyder led the offensive charge for the Bobcats with 27 points while also pulling down eight rebounds. Caleb Faulkner poured in 21 points, and Andrew Dalton, Kyle Flavin, and Jay Baxter each added 10 points. Brady Reynolds and Tyler Moore tacked on five and three points respectively in the win.

The Bobcats will next travel to Kansas Christian College on Tuesday, February 13, for a 5 PM contest.