The lone game on MOARK Sports Monday night featured to schools going at it for the last time as conference rivals.
The Branson Lady Pirates played at Ozark in the final Central Ozark Conference game between the schools with Branson's departure from the COC to the new Ozark Mountain Conference taking place next school year. The Lady Pirates ended a seven game Lady Tiger winning streak in the series with a 39-36 overtime win. The game was close throughout with the Lady Pirates biggest lead at six in the first half with the Lady Tigers biggest lead at four points coming in the second half.
In overtime, neither team scored until the final 90 seconds, when Branson's Ellison Mehrhoff hit one of two free throws. Sydney Hampton answered for the Lady Tigers with a lay-up but missed a free throw leaving Ozark only up one. Branson did get a rebound off one of their missed free throws with Mehrhoff making both free throws to give the Lady Pirates the lead for good. Rylie Hagston added two more free throws. Ozark did force a turnover with under a second to go and got a three up at the buzzer that was off the mark securing the win for Branson.
Taylor Foster led the Lady Pirates with 21 points as they go to 11-9 for the season.
The two boys teams will play tonight as one of the featured games on MOARK Sports Dot Com which also includes a rematch of the Harrison-Mountain Home Rivalry:
Mountain Home at Harrison Girls/Boys 6:00/7:30 (also on 94.9 KHOZ)
Branson at Ozark Boys 7:30 (on Perry Phillips Sports/MOARK Sports)
Skyline at Forsyth Boys 7:30
Monday Scores
Girls
Branson 39 Ozark 36 OT
Forsyth 57 Spokane 52
Blue Eye 60 Southwest 12
Crane 60 Billings 25
Boys
Wheaton 54 Galena 51
Exeter 66 Hurley 50
Ozark Mountain 79 Haas Hall 43
Area Athletes Win District, Sectional Championships, Move On
