UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. – The IU Kokomo basketball team took on #19 William Penn in the Championship game of the Governors State Classic Saturday afternoon. The Cougars dominated from start to finish on their way to a 90-60 win.
In a rematch of the 2022 NAIA Tournament Round of 32 matchup in which the #8 seed IU Kokomo beat #1 overall seed William Penn on their home floor, the Cougars managed to continue their dominance of the Statesmen Saturday in Illinois.
IU Kokomo started the game by scoring the first eight points, as sophomore guard
Ty Wills began and ended the 8-0 run with buckets. William Penn would cut the deficit in half to make it 8-4, however that was the closest the Statesmen would be for the remainder of the game.
By the 10-minute mark of the first half the Cougars had already scored 28 points, finding themselves in front by 13. Leading 29-17, IUK utilized a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 21. IU Kokomo took a 49-28 lead into the break, as both
Ty Wills and
Max Newman had 12 first-half points to lead the Cougs.
The opening 10 minutes of the second half proved to be back-and-forth, however the Cougs would eventually manage to gain even more separation. Four-straight points from IUK's
Jacksen Harre gave them a 27-point lead with 10 minutes to play.
IU Kokomo's lead would reach 31 at one point, as the Cougars made a statement with a dominating 90-60 win over #19 William Penn.
Max Newman has two double-doubles in as many games for IUK, as he finished Saturday's eye-opening win with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Ty Wills and
Julien Hunter each added 14 while
Hunter Jackson chipped in 10.
The Cougars will have some time off before returning to the hardwood on November 10th for game one of two at Rio Grande's Bevo Francis Invitational. IUK will take on Lindsey Wilson College Friday afternoon.
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
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