Experience ultimately won out for Nixa on Monday, as the Lady Eagles' veterans delivered heroics in a 60-56 overtime victory at Ozark.
Lily Mahy and Norah Clark teamed for seven of Nixa's eight points in the extra period, as the Lady Eagles won their third overtime contest on the season.
"We've been in three overtime games now and have really had to dig deep to get those wins," Clark said, while referring to Nixa's COC-opening win and its overtime wins earlier this season against Springdale Har-ber (Arkansas) and Grain Valley.
"Experience was big tonight," Nixa coach Jennifer Perryman said. "I'd rather not go to overtime, but if we do I've got a pretty good feeling our team is going to pull through."
Nixa and Ozark were tied at 52 at the end of regulation and were still tied at 52 two-plus minutes into overtime.
Mahy ended the scoring drought by netting a 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining to give the Lady Eagles the lead for good.
As ironic as it was Mahy made the game's biggest bucket, considering she was seemingly in constant foul trouble, it didn't rate as a surprise from Perryman's perspective.
"You know she is going to come through at the end," Perryman said. "She plays with an intensity, but a calmness at the same time."
Mahy didn't let herself get flustered while saddled with four fouls and spending extended minutes on the Nixa bench.
"I trust my teammates. I know that someone will step up if I'm in foul trouble," Mahy said. "I wasn't worried. I know my teammates have got my back even if I do foul out."
Mahy didn't hesitate to shoot with the game on the line, even though she had attempted just one other field goal the entire second half.
"They always say, 'Whenever you shoot it, think that it's going to go in.'" Mahy said. "I let it fly."
Clark was also repeating a motivational message in her mind. She made two free throws with :34 left in regulation to make it 52-all. She added four more free throws in the final :14 of overtime to seal the Lady Eagles' win.
"I was thinking how I always do this thing in practice where if I have to make two free throws, I tell myself I have to make three," Clark said. "A lot of players focus (solely) on the last shot they have to make. I tell myself I have to make more than I actually do and it usually works for me."
Clark finished with a game-high 19 points and teammate Allison Jones added 14.
Nixa made only two field goals over the final 12 minutes, but was 9-of-10 at the free-throw line during that stretch
In addition to the thoughts Mahy and Clark had running through their minds, Perryman liked how her players were talking to each other come crunch time.
"When it gets tight, sometimes you get quiet and shut down," Perryman said. "But they were all communicating with each other. That's how good teams win ball games."
Ozark (5-8) jumped out to a 21-14 lead and put itself in position to pull off the upset.
"You know Nixa is going to press you. They are relentless with their press," Ozark coach Brandon Clift said. "You have to handle the pressure. We did a pretty good job of that."
Ozark fell behind 46-38 in the third quarter, but rallied to take a 52-50 lead with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Tigers missed what would have been a game-winning jumper at the end of regulation and then were scoreless the first three minutes of the overtime.
Macy Sult's 11-point night was highlighted by a pair of buckets in the fourth quarter. Sydney Hampton and Jordyn Foley also both had 11 points and Molly Rushing and Alexis Soloman both added 10.
"You can see our maturation, taking on another quality opponent," Clift said. "Our girls continue to put in the work and do the right things. We're getting better. But we didn't quite have enough to get it done."
Nixa (11-2) upped its COC winning streak to 13 games.
Mahy fully expected Ozark to give Nixa such a strong challenge. She has been AAU teammates with Sult and Hampton for four years.
"I knew they were going to (compete) because they are a bunch of dogs," Mahy said. "They were going to fight until the final buzzer sounds."
Nixa 60, Ozark 56 O.T.
NIXA (60) — Mahy 3 0-0 9, Bray 2 1-2 5, Jones 6 2-4 14, Clark 6 6-6 19, Hammitt 1 1-1 3, Grant 4 0-1 8, Ferguson 0 2-2 2.
OZARK (56) — Foley 3 3-5 11, Hampton 3 5-8 11, Rushing 4 0-1 10, Sult 3 3-3 11, Soloman 4 2-3 10, Kirkland 1 0-0 3.
Nixa 10 22 14 6 8 - 60
Ozark 16 15 12 9 4 - 56
3-point goals - Mahy 3, Rushing 2, Foley 2, Sult 2, Clark, Kirkland.
