OAKLAND CITY, Ind. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team earned their fourth-straight win Monday afternoon, taking down Concordia (Mich.) 73-63 on day two of Oakland City's Dunn Hospitality Group Classic.

After Monday's neutral-site victory over the Cardinals, the Cougars will enter 2025 with a record of 9-4. Head coach Eric Echelbarger's group has now concluded non-conference play for the 2024-2025 season, as all 15 remaining games are River States Conference match-ups.

IU Kokomo jumped out to a 6-0 lead as Concordia found themselves stymied early. After scoring their first points of the game just over three and a half minutes in, the Cardinals trailed by just four at the under-10 media timeout.

Evan Kretz and Concordia's Colby Chapman traded triples to keep the score even at 25 near the five-minute mark, as the two squads were locked in a good battle. Concordia hit a three-pointer to lead by three with 1:24 to play in the half, but the Cougars closed on a 5-0 run to lead 40-38 at halftime.

The Cardinals and Cougars were knotted at 45 apiece four minutes into the second half before 11 straight IU Kokomo points gave the Cougs a 10-point lead at 56-46. 

Concordia trimmed the deficit to four with nine minutes to play, but that was as close as the Cardinals would get in a low-scoring second half. IU Kokomo would close out a 73-63 neutral-site victory to end 2024 having won four-straight.

Max Newman recorded a whopping 17 rebounds for a second consecutive game, pairing them with 21 points for his second double-double in as many days and fifth of the season.

Noah Harris finished with points and four boards while Kedric Anderson added 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 25 minutes of action off the bench. Evan Kretz knocked down four triples for 12 points and five boards on the night.

Senior guard Dell DeMyers played all 40 minutes, serving as a key cog defensively while totaling seven points, five steals, and four rebounds.

The Cougars will next be in action this Saturday, January 4th, as they will host the Mighty Oaks of Oakland City in the return to River States Conference play. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM.

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.