The West Plains Zizzers delivered one of their most complete and resilient performances of the season, rallying from a double-digit deficit to defeat Ozark 73–69 in overtime in the quarterfinals of the Blue and Gold Tournament.
Ozark controlled the early tempo, using its size and disciplined half-court offense to build a 16–10 lead after the first quarter. The Tigers extended that advantage in the second period, pushing the margin to as many as 15 points as West Plains struggled to find consistent scoring. Despite timely three-point baskets from Judd and Kenslow, the Zizzers went into halftime trailing 38–26.
The tone shifted in the third quarter.
Senior guard Kraft ignited the comeback with a pair of three-pointers and relentless pressure on the defensive end. West Plains forced turnovers, converted in transition, and began to chip away at the deficit. Kraft closed the quarter with a steal and a dunk, but Ozark maintained a 50–43 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.
West Plains seized control in the fourth quarter. Moore knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to one possession, and Miller followed with a steal and score to bring the Zizzers within a point. After a defensive stop, Miller converted two free throws to give West Plains its first lead of the night at 55–54 with 4:29 remaining.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch. Kraft buried a critical three-pointer and later added points at the free-throw line, but Ozark answered with a late three to tie the game at 63 with 27 seconds remaining, forcing overtime.
In the extra period, Miller opened scoring with a clutch three-pointer, and Judd followed with a basket as the Zizzers maintained composure in a tightly contested four minutes. Kraft scored inside late, then sealed the outcome at the free-throw line in the final seconds. A technical foul assessed to Ozark in the closing moments added the final point as time expired.
Kraft led all scorers with 33 points, delivering a standout performance that included seven three-pointers, multiple steals, and key baskets in every phase of the game. Judd added 11 points, while Miller finished with nine, including several crucial plays in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The victory sends West Plains into the semifinals of the Blue and Gold Tournament. Listen live Monday night on 102.5 KDY or online at kkdy.com
