SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team secured its 10th straight win Tuesday night, pulling away in the second half to claim a 10-point road victory at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College after a one-point halftime lead.

FAST FACTS - 87-77 win at SMWC

• LOCATION: Jeanne Knoerle Center | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana
• UPDATED RECORDS: IU Kokomo - 16-3 (6-1), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods - 9-10 (3-4)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: IU Kokomo - RV, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods - N/A

THE RUNDOWN 

• IU Kokomo and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods battled closely through much of the first half, with the host Pomeroys building an eight-point lead with 6:27 remaining. However, head coach Eric Echelbarger's squad closed the half on a 19–10 run to take a 42–41 lead into halftime.
• The Cougars and Pomeroys traded leads in the opening minutes of the second half, but a fastbreak dunk by Joseph Annan Jr. put IU Kokomo ahead by seven with 13:32 remaining. A few minutes later, Alonzo Clawson-Smith scored in transition to give the Cougars their largest lead of the game at 72–58.
• SMWC cut the deficit to eight, but the Cougars pulled the lead back to 14 in the final minutes, closing out an 87–77 road victory and improving to 6–1 in River States Conference play.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Freshman guard and Lafayette native Alonzo Clawson-Smith led the Cougars offensively, scoring a game-high 28 points while also recording eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals.
• Joseph Annan Jr. notched his eighth 20-point game of the season Tuesday night, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
• Jake McGraw continued his strong offensive play, contributing 18 points and seven rebounds in the road victory.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• "The game was very physical and early on we were giving up second chance opportunities on the glass. I thought we regrouped in the second half and played solid. Hitting 83% of your free throws (19/23) and having 18 assists goes a long way in securing a tough road win." - Head Coach Eric Echelbarger
• "I think we started slow defensively, but were able to pick it up a lot in the second half. We also attacked the paint really well and were able to finish. I think I was able to successfully get to the line and convert my free throws really well." - Freshman Alonzo Clawson-Smith

THE ROAD AHEAD

• Next Game: 1/23 vs WVU Tech - 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.