KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo women's basketball team opened 2025 play Saturday afternoon with a loss to a fast-paced Oakland City squad that preferred to play in transition, as they drilled  11 three-pointers on their way to an 84-71 win.

Both IU Kokomo and Oakland City struggled to find any footing offensively early on, as the Cougars led 4-0 before the Mighty Oaks found the scoreboard at the 6:51 mark of the first. 

Marissa Austin would knock down her first of seven triples on the day to give OCU their first lead of the game in the final minute of the first, as the Mighty Oaks held a narrow 16-14 lead after one.

Oakland City scored the first nine points of the second quarter to extend their lead to 11. IUK head coach Lisa Pflueger's squad immediately answered with six-straight to cut the deficit in half and trail by five at 25-20, yet the Mighty Oaks quickly re-built the lead to 15. 

Trailing 38-23 with 1:29 to play in the first half, IU Kokomo ended the half with a flurry of points to make it a game again heading into the halftime locker room. Hannah Hodgen drilled a trey before Mia Catey scored in the paint on the ensuing possession, all leading up to a Lexi DiOrio deep-ball with seconds remaining to cut the 15-point OCU lead to seven with 20 to play.

The Mighty Oaks came out of the locker room enthused, quickly making it a double-digit lead once again. The game grinded to a halt late in the third quarter, as the Cougars committed seven third-quarter fouls, allowing Oakland City to lead 65-51 heading into the fourth.

IU Kokomo trailed by double-digits for much of the fourth quarter, but a pair of DiOrio free throws cut the deficit to nine with 5:19 to play. A Mackenzie York layup got the Cougars within eight, but Oakland City outscored IUK 11-6 down the stretch to pick up an 84-71 road win.

Junior forward Mia Catey continued her impressive and physical post-play to lead IU Kokomo, recording team-highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Lexi DiOrio added 14 points off the bench, as she showcased her ability to create offense off the dribble Saturday.

Cameryn Rector knocked down a pair of three-pointers on her way to 12 points off the bench for the Cougars, as forwards Anna Kiser and Moriah Crawford each totaled eight points. Kiser also pulled down eight boards.

Hannah Hodgen did a little bit of everything in 25 minutes of action Saturday, finishing with five points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. 

Having been originally scheduled to play at Brescia this coming Tuesday evening, impending inclimate weather has forced the game to be pushed back to Wednesday at 6:30 PM ET. The Cougars will return home next Saturday for the inaugural battle with the Crimson Pride of IU Columbus at 3:00 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.