RIO GRANDE, Ohio. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team fell on the road Tuesday night at Rio Grande 71-68. With the loss, the Cougars are now 11-5 overall and 5-1 in River States Conference play.

Hunter White had a game-high 30 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. White had 19 of his 30 in the second half.

Darian Porch had eight points and seven boards and Xavier Hines added seven points.

IU Kokomo opened the game by scoring the first four points on buckets from Darian Porch and Hunter Jackson for an early lead. Rio Grande eventually took their first lead of the game at 9-8 with 14:02 remaining in the first half.

For the next two minutes, the two teams traded baskets and stops. IU Kokomo led 23-21 before the Red Storm went on a 12-0 run for a 33-23 lead. The Cougars however managed to trim the halftime deficit to five by outscoring Rio Grande 10-5 in the final 3:38 of the half.

Rio Grande extended their lead back to double-digits early in the second half and maintained the double-digit lead until the 10 minute mark when Hunter White made a layup to trim the deficit to nine.

The Cougars showed signs of life, as they scored six-straight points while trailing 68-58 to get within four points of Rio Grande with 2:21 remaining. Hunter White scored to pull IUK within three points but Rio's Khamani Smith scored in the paint to extend the lead back to five.

Hunter White did what he did all night, getting to the rim and finishing to make it a three-point game once again with 45 seconds to go. Rio Grande missed a jumper and the Cougars gained possession, allowing for an IUK timeout to set things up with 16 seconds left. Darian Porch missed the game-tying three-pointer and Rio Grande held on to win 71-68.

The Cougars will return to the hardwood Saturday, January 7th, as they will host RSC foe Ohio Christian. Tip-off is set for 3:00 P.M.

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.