KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo men's basketball team picked up its sixth straight win Tuesday night in its home River States Conference opener, holding off Oakland City 84–83 to hand the Mighty Oaks their first conference loss of the season.

FAST FACTS

• LOCATION: Student Activities & Event Center | Kokomo, IN
• UPDATED RECORDS: Oakland City - 7-8 (2-1),  IU Kokomo - 12-3 (2-1)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: Oakland City - N/A, IU Kokomo - N/A

THE RUNDOWN 

• Neither team managed to take a sizeable lead early, as both struggled to get going offensively. IU Kokomo led Oakland City 14–8 eight minutes into the game and held the lead until the 3:38 mark of the first half, when the game was tied at 24. The Mighty Oaks finished the half strong, taking a 32–30 lead into the locker room after a slower-paced, lower-scoring first half.
• Oakland City came out strong in the second half, extending their lead to as many as four points while keeping pace with the Cougars, who entered the contest on a five-game winning streak. Trailing 47–45, IU Kokomo responded with the next 10 points to flip the script and take an eight-point lead with 10:05 remaining.
• The Cougars extended their lead to nine with 7:50 remaining, but the Mighty Oaks cut the deficit to two by the four-minute mark, eventually tying the game at 68 with 2:44 left. Tied 70–70 coming out of a full timeout called by Cougar head coach Eric Echelbarger, Ty Wills scored in the paint and was fouled on a play assisted by Alonzo Clawson-Smith, giving IU Kokomo a three-point lead.
• The Cougars would hold the lead for the remainder of the game, though not without a scare. Leading 84–80 with eight seconds remaining, Oakland City's Kalik Sharpe banked in a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left, but IU Kokomo successfully inbounded the ball as time expired to secure an 84–83 victory over the Mighty Oaks.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Joseph Annan Jr. had a career night, scoring a career-high 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line, while also pulling down eight rebounds.
• Alonzo Clawson-Smith was perfect from the free-throw line and went 7-of-12 from the field, posting the second double-double of his freshman season with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
• Senior Ty Wills had as big an impact on the game as anyone, seemingly scoring a big bucket every time it was needed. Wills finished with 20 points.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• "Very competitive game against a very good Oakland City team. Proud of our guys for finding a way to win when shots weren't falling. Solid execution down the stretch to finish the game." - Head Coach Eric Echelbarger
• "I was just trying to be aggressive and help wherever I could. Our togetherness carried us through a tough game" - Junior Joseph Annan Jr.

THE ROAD AHEAD

• Next Game: 1/10 vs Kentucky Christian - 3:00 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 Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.