KOKOMO, Ind. - The Indiana University Kokomo men's basketball team started off the new year with their fourth straight victory on Wednesday night. The Cougars held off a late comeback attempt by the Ohio Christian Trailblazers, winning 78-73 to move to 16-3 on the season and 6-1 in River States Conference action.

The Cougars led by as many as 19 points in the game but let the Trailblazers get within two points with less than two minutes to play in the game but clutch buckets from seniors Allante Harper and Desean Hampton kept IU Kokomo in front until the final buzzer. 

In the early goings of the first half, the teams traded points. IU Kokomo saw its first double figure lead when they went on a 14-2 run that lasted nearly five minutes. The run turned an 18-17 lead into a 30-19 advantage. During the run the Cougars were 5-of-9 from the field and were led by Harper with six points. IU Kokomo remained in control for the duration of the first half, taking a 44-30 lead into the break. 

Harper finished the first half with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field and connecting on both of his free throw attempts. Freshman Noah Harris added eight points for the Cougars in the opening half. 

Ohio Christian opened the second half with a quick 6-2 burst to cut their deficit to 12 points. With 12:55 left in the game, the Trailblazers would cut their lead to single digits for the first time since the 6:37 mark in the first half. The IU Kokomo offense seemed to have an answer each time Ohio Christian tried to mount a comeback. With the shot clock expiring, Hampton banked in a three to push the IUK lead back to 13 points with 9:06 left to play. 

Hunter Jackson gave IUK a 10 point lead with 6:59 to go and that would be the last time the Cougars led by double figures. An 11-4 run by the Trailblazers would make it a 68-65 game with just over 4:00 minutes left on the clock. Ohio Christian threatened but the Cougars never wavered. 

Harper led all scorers with 15 points while Hampton added 13 to go along with his nine rebounds. Trequan Spivey was one assist and one point shy of a double-double finishing with nine points and nine assists. Xavier Hines connected on three tripled to chip in with nine points. 

The Cougars will have a six day layoff before traveling to St. Mary of the Woods College next Tuesday night. IU Kokomo was set to host Ohio Valley University on Saturday at home but the game has been canceled due to OVU ceasing operations, the Cougars earn a forfeit victory. 

For the latest news, updates, and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.