GARY, Ind. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team edged IU Northwest 77-72 on the road Tuesday night for their fifth-straight win. The Cougars are now 10-3 on the year.

IU Northwest took an early 2-0 lead with a bucket on their first possession of the game, but Hunter White responded with a deep-ball on the ensuing possession for a 3-2 IU Kokomo lead.

With the game tied at eight, IU Northwest scored seven-straight points to take a 15-8 lead. The Cougars answered with six-straight points of their own to get back within a point.

The Red Wolves led by a point at 19-18 before going on a 9-0 run to take a double-digit lead at 28-18 with 8:43 to go in the first half. The Cougars chipped away at the Red Wolves lead and after a Xavier Hines triple, they trailed by just a point again at 33-32. IU Northwest took a 37-36 lead into halftime.
   
IU Kokomo tied the game at 42 on a Hunter Jackson layup before taking their first lead since early in the game at 46-45. The two teams traded punches for the next  four minutes before IU Northwest was able to build a lead.

IU Northwest managed to build a lead as large as nine-points with 7:07 remaining in the game, but the Cougars were not done yet. Trailing 70-64, triples from Xavier Hines on consecutive possessions knotted the score at 70. A Darian Porch layup on the following possession gave IU Kokomo a 72-71 lead with 2:21 to go.

With the game tied at 72, Hines struck again, drilling another triple to give IU Kokomo a 75-72 lead with 1:35 remaining. The Cougars would hit two free-throws to close out a 77-72 road win at IU Northwest.

Senior forward Darian Porch continued his strong play Tuesday, as he had a game-high 17 points while pulling down nine rebounds. Hunter White added 12 points and grabbed four rebounds while dishing five assists.

Xavier Hines also contributed 12 points going 4/5 from three-point range. Ty Wills was the lone other Cougar to score in double-figures, scoring ten points.

The Cougars will return to the hardwood December 28th as they will play in the Oakland City Classic. IUK will play Lawrence Tech (Mich.) on the 28th and Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) on the 29th.

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.