KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo Esports Overwatch squad came back from a 2-0 deficit Thursday night to beat Southern Illinois University Carbondale 4-2, clinching the program's first NECC Conference Championship in just year of one of being a program.

With the win in the NECC Navigator Division Great Lakes Conference Finals, head coach Nick Liegey's squad is building a case for a spot in next Spring's Nationals. Nationals occur in the spring but teams qualify based off of their performance in both the fall and spring. 

Just as they did in last Thursday's conference semifinals, the Cougars dropped the first two games of the match to put themselves in an early 2-0 hole in the best-of-seven series.

According to coach Liegey, IU Kokomo switched to rock Sombra in game three, "a stealth character that harassed the opposing team's mercy and forced a ton of pressure on SIUC."

The Salukis of Southern Illinois Carbondale were never able to overcome Sombra, as they failed to score in each of the final four games. The Cougars blanked SIUC 3,0, 1-0, 2-0, and 2-0 in games 3-6 to earn a 4-2 win in the NECC Navigator Division Great Lakes Conference Finals

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.