KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team earned a hard fought win over IU East Tuesday evening to open River States Conference play with a win. The Cougars are now 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the RSC.

Three Cougars scored in double figures on the evening, led by Hunter White. White led all scorers with 24 points, but had a solid all-around night with seven assists, six steals, and five rebounds. Freshman Ty Wills had 16 points and four rebounds, while Darian Porch had 14 points and four boards.

Dell DeMeyers played a key role in a big-time second half run for the Cougars, providing energy while getting it done at both ends of the floor. DeMeyers finished with seven points off the bench.

Darian Porch gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead after gathering an offensive rebound and converting the layup on the first IUK possession of the game. IU East responded, taking a 12-8 lead with 13 minutes to go in the opening half.

The Cougars scored ten-straight points to take an 18-12 lead, capped off by a Ty Wills deep-ball. IUK maintained a lead for much of the remainder of the half, but the Red Wolves took a one-point lead with less than five minutes to play in the first half.

After a back-and-forth final 4:27 of the first half, a Hunter White layup as time-expired gave the Cougars a 42-41 halftime lead.

IU East took a 43-42 lead on a bucket on the first possession of the second half, but IUK quickly regained the lead and led 48-45. A Red Wolves three-pointer gave them their largest lead of the game at 61-55 with 11 minutes remaining, but the Cougs would regroup.

Over the course of the next four and a half minutes, IU Kokomo outscored IU East 16-2 to take a commanding ten-point lead with six minutes to play. The Red Wolves managed to get within five-points with three minutes remaining, but that was as close as they would get. IUK beat IU East 84-77 behind a strong performance in the final 12 minutes.

The Cougars will enjoy more than a week of rest, before hitting the road for "The Show" tournament in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Cougars will play Union College Saturday the 26th and Shawnee State Sunday the 27th.

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.