PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Indiana University Kokomo women's basketball team took down Point Park Thursday evening, 69-62. The Cougars dominated first half play and held on to their 21-point halftime lead to beat the Pioneers. With the win, IU Kokomo improves to 6-10 overall and 3-6 in River States Conference play.

The Pioneers took an early 3-0 lead courtesy of a Michelle Burns triple, but the Cougars responded with 15 consecutive points to take a 15-3 lead with four and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Cougar defense held the Pioneers to an 18.2 field goal percentage in the opening quarter while shooting at a 50% from the field offensively. IUK led 20-8 heading into the second quarter.

IU Kokomo scored the first eight points of the period, extending the lead to 20 points at 28-8. The final 7:07 of the first half was tightly contested, as the Cougars narrowly outscored the Pioneers 15-14 on their way to a 43-22 halftime lead.

The Cougars extended their lead to 24 after a Vanessa Mullins old-fashioned three-point, but Point Park was eventually able to cut into the IUK lead. The Pioneers trimmed the deficit to 17 with 6:39 remaining in the third and were eventually able to get within 12 points of the Cougars at the end of three quarters.

IU Kokomo led comfortably for most of the fourth quarter and by as many as 15 with 3:29 remaining. However, a 10-0 Pioneer run over the next 2:20 cut the Cougar lead to five with 1:09 remaining. That would be as close as they get, as Sierra Peete knocked down a pair of free throws to ice the game and give IUK a 69-62 win.

Tia Chambers led IUK with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds while Anya Friend added 12 points and five boards. Sierra Peete contributed 11 points and a team-high seven assists and Shamaria Walker had 10 points.

The Cougars will have a day off before a Saturday matinee at Carlow University. Tipoff 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.