NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The IU Kokomo women's basketball team dropped a tightly-contested game, 67-58, Friday night at Holy Cross College (Ind.) in their final game of 2022.

The third quarter proved to be the difference Friday, as Holy Cross outscored IU Kokomo by nine points in the period.

Sophomore guard Anya Friend got the scoring started early Friday night, scoring on the opening possession to give IU Kokomo a 2-0 lead. With 2:52 to go in the opening quarter, Friend drilled a triple to give the Cougars an 11-8 lead. Trailing 12-9, Holy Cross finished the quarter on a 7-0 run to lead 16-12.

IU Kokomo trimmed the Holy Cross lead to two at 18-16 before the Crusaders scored 12 unanswered to extend their lead to 14.

The Cougars did well to respond however, as Kristen Ridner drilled a three-pointer to trim the deficit to four at 32-28 and halt the Crusader momentum. Another Friend bucket with eight seconds remaining in the half sent the Cougars into halftime trailing 37-33.

Less than three minutes into the third quarter, Alaya Chapman scored in the paint to tie the game at 39. The game was tied at 41 but Holy Cross managed another 12-0 run to take a 53-41 lead. The Crusaders led 58-45 after three quarters,

Holy Cross controlled play for the majority of the final quarter, as the lead did not dip below double-digits until there was less than a minute remaining. The Crusaders held on to beat the Cougars 67-58.

Anya Friend led the Cougars with a game-high 20 points on 7/15 shooting from the field. Friend also pulled down five rebounds. Kristen Ridner added 11 points as the lone other Cougar to score in double-figures.

The Cougars will return to action Tuesday, January 3rd, as they will return to RSC play with a game at University of Rio Grande. Tip-off is set for 5:30 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.