RICHMOND, Ind. - The IU Kokomo women's basketball team was unable to overcome a 17-point halftime Tuesday at IU East after an even second-half.

IU East started strong on their home-court Tuesday evening, opening up an 8-2 lead just over four minutes into the game. Emma Good drilled a three-pointer to cut a six-point deficit in half, but three-points was as close as IU Kokomo got for the remainder of the first quarter. The Red Wolves took a 19-13 lead into the second quarter.

IU Kokomo did well to keep IU East within reach early in the second quarter, but an 8-0 run from the Red Wolves while leading 26-22 extended their lead to double-digits at 12 points. IU East outscored IU Kokomo 6-1 in the final 1:40 of the period to build the lead to 17 at halftime.

Despite a tough first half and large halftime deficit, the Cougars were at their best in the third quarter, as IUK would outscore IU East 22-19 in the third period. The Red Wolves extended their lead to 19 with 7:55 remaining in the third, but Kristen Ridner was fouled on a three-point attempt and knocked down all three free-throws to pull the Cougars within 13.

IU East responded by taking their largest lead of the game to that point at 59-39. The Cougars followed with a 6-0 mini-run to end the quarter and trail 59-45 after three quarters.

Trailing 65-52, junior forward Anna Kiser scored in the paint to trim the deficit to 11 and force an IU East timeout with 5:54 remaining in the game. The Red Wolves went on a 12-0 run out of the timeout to take their largest lead of the game at 77-54. Lilly Maple scored six-straight points in the final two-minutes but IU East went on to beat IU Kokomo 77-60.

Anna Kiser led IU Kokomo with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. Kristen Ridner also had 11 points on the evening while Kaylie Abriani had a team-high four assists.

The Cougars will return home for two-straight games inside the Student Activities and Events Center. IUK will host Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Saturday with a 1:00 P.M. tip-off.

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.