Columbia, Mo. – Tonight the 16th ranked Columbia College women's basketball team was back in action when they played host to the NAIA Division II sixth ranked College of the Ozarks Bobcats in a nonconference matchup. The Cougars were defeated by the Bobcats by a final score of 76-59 and fell to 6-4 on the season.
The Cougars came out in the first quarter of the game and were able to score the first four points of the contest. However, their lead did not last long as the Bobcats were able to use an 11-2 run to take an 11-6 lead midway through the period. The Bobcats were able to extend their lead to as many as 11 late in the quarter but the Cougars battled back and cut the lead to eight heading into the second.
Columbia College continued to struggle shooting the ball at the start of the second quarter but were able to pick it up as the period progressed. They cut the Bobcats lead to five with six minutes left in the half and then used an 8-2 run to take a one point lead late in the period. Turnovers plagued College of the Ozarks down the final stretch of the half and the Cougars were able to take a 33-31 lead into the locker room. Alexis Uffmann led Columbia College with seven points in the half.
In the second half of the game both side came out and exchanged baskets to start the third quarter. With the score tied at 37, the Bobcats went on a 13-5 run and held a 50-42 lead with three minutes left in the period. The Cougars had a tough time putting the ball in the basket in the final minutes of the quarter and took a 53-42 lead into the fourth. Columbia College did their best to get back into the game in the final quarter but their shots did not seem to fall as the Bobcats closed out the game to hand them their fourth loss of the season.
Raegan Wieser led the way for the Cougars as she finished with a team high 14 points in the contest. In addition to Wieser, Morgan Brandt finished with 11 points and a team high nine rebounds, Mai Nienhueser dropped in 10 points, and Ashlee Marlatt dished out a game high five assists to round out the top performers for Columbia.
The Cougars are back in action on Thursday, December 14th when they travel to Henderson, Tennessee, to take on the second ranked Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University Lions in an AMC matchup. The game is set to start at 5:30 p.m.
