College of the Ozarks regularly appeared in the NAIA national women's basketball tournament before the school opted to leave the association.
Two years after its 2021 departure, the Branson program reached the top of a different mountain.
The Bobcats downed Oakland City 86-63 on Saturday in Winona Lake, Indiana to claim a Division I National Christian College Athletic Association championship, an effort led by a pair of local products.
High-scoring senior guards Jordan Wersinger (Kickapoo) and Kayley Frank (Strafford) combined for 44 points to lead College of the Ozarks. Both were named to the All-NCCAA Tournament Team and Wersinger, who also had 10 rebounds in the championship game, earned MVP distinction.