KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team began 2024 on a high-note Wednesday evening, knocking off Rio Grande 67-58 for a fourth-consecutive win. With the victory, the Cougars improved to 12-2 overall and 2-2 in River States Conference play.

After jumping out to an early lead, Rio Grande battled back to tie it at eight apiece. The Cougars then utilized a 13-0 run to take a 21-8 lead with 12:58 remaining in the first half.

A pair of three-pointers from Evan Kretz extended the IUK lead to 19 near the six-minute mark, the Cougars biggest lead of the half. IU Kokomo would take a 40-28 lead into halftime.

IU Kokomo maintained a lead of 11+ for much of the second half before the RedStorm cut the deficit to 10 with 6:04 remaining in the game.

A triple from Rio Grande cut the IUK lead to seven with 2:39 to play, but the Cougars built the lead back to 10 with 1:05 left before closing out a 67-58 win over the RedStorm.

Noah Harris led IU Kokomo with 20 points, while Max Newman recorded a 15 point, 12 rebound double-double. Chris Chin poured in nine points while Hunter Jackson added eight.

The Cougars will return to action Saturday at Ohio Christian. Tip-off is set for 3:00 PM.
 

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.