KINGSPORT, Tenn. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team wrapped up The Show with a perfect 2–0 record, finishing their Thanksgiving break trip to Tennessee with a 66–62 win over Union College (Ky.) on Sunday afternoon.
FAST FACTS
- LOCATION: MeadowView Convention Center | Kingsport, TN
- UPDATED RECORDS: Union College (Ky.) - 2-7, IU Kokomo - 5-2
- NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: Union College (Ky.) - N/A, IU Kokomo - N/A
THE RUNDOWN
- After a slow start in which just two points were scored in the first five minutes, IU Kokomo went on a 7–0 run to take a 9–2 lead.
- Union battled back to tie it at 12, but the Cougars regained control, quickly building a double-digit advantage that reached 13 before heading into the locker room with a 30–23 lead at halftime.
- The Bulldogs challenged IU Kokomo early in the second half, but the Cougars maintained at least a five-point lead until the 10-minute mark.
- Though Union cut the deficit to three points several times, IU Kokomo responded each time, closing out a 66–62 win to improve to 5–2 on the season ahead of the River States Conference opener.
LEADING THE CHARGE
- Evan Kretz paced IU Kokomo with 20 points, knocking down five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc.
- Joseph Annan Jr. has been a steady interior presence for IU Kokomo through seven games this season, adding another double-double on Sunday with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
- Fresh off a career-high 10-point outing on Saturday, freshman Jake McGraw followed it up with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double against Union, the first of his young career.
- Patric Matson chipped in 12 points and five rebounds.
INSIDE THE HUDDLE
- "Great effort by our guys today on short rest and a quick scout! We will get back to work this week and prepare for a big game Saturday!" - Head Coach Eric Echelbarger
- "Our keys to the game were: trust the scout, don't dwell on mistakes, and give everything we had. We focused on winning each possession, and that mindset carried us." - Junior Joseph Annan Jr.
THE ROAD AHEAD
- Next Game: 12/6 at IU Southeast - 1:00 PM ET
- Next Home Game: 12/10 vs IU Northwest - 7:30 PM ET
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
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