EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The IU Kokomo men's basketball team put together an impressive showing against NCAA Division I Evansville Monday evening, leading the Purple Aces by eight points at halftime before ultimately falling 80-70 at the Ford Center.
The Cougars shot an efficient 52.1 percent from the field compared to Evansville's 44.6 percent, while also holding a significant advantage from beyond the arc, shooting 44.4 percent compared to the Purple Aces' 29.6 percent. IU Kokomo led for the final 13-plus minutes of the opening half, carrying a 42-34 advantage into the locker room against its Missouri Valley Conference opponent. Monday's contest served as an exhibition for IU Kokomo and does not count toward the Cougars' regular-season record, while the game marked Evansville's official season opener.
Joseph Annan Jr. led the Cougars with 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting performance, adding four rebounds.
Hudson Horvath followed with 12 points and three rebounds, connecting on four of his seven field goal attempts, including a pair of three-pointers.
Brandon Addison provided nine points and a team-high six rebounds off the bench.
Head coach
Eric Echelbarger utilized his entire 15-man roster in the exhibition, with every Cougar seeing playing time against Division I competition. IU Kokomo's reserves combined for 28 points.
First Half
- Evansville opened the contest with a 5-0 advantage, but IU Kokomo quickly settled in, taking its first lead at 8-7.
- Trailing 15-10, the Cougars rattled off 11 unanswered points to take a 21-15 lead near the midway point of the half.
- After the Purple Aces tied the contest at 21, IU Kokomo responded with a 9-2 run to regain control at 30-23.
- The Cougars continued to execute offensively, building a lead of as many as nine points and remaining in front for the final 13-plus minutes of the half before taking a 42-34 advantage into the locker room.
- IU Kokomo shot a blistering 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from the field and 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes, compared to Evansville's 38.2 percent shooting from the field.
Second Half
- Evansville came out of halftime with a renewed offensive push, cutting IU Kokomo's advantage to a single point early in the second half.
- The Purple Aces eventually reclaimed the lead at 54-53 with 12:30 remaining, but the Cougars continued to battle and kept the contest within a single possession for much of the ensuing stretch.
- Evansville began to create separation in the final six minutes, using an 8-1 run to establish a 70-60 advantage with under five minutes to play.
- The hosts outscored IU Kokomo 46-28 in the second half to secure the 80-70 victory.
- Despite the result, the Cougars finished with a 33-30 rebounding advantage and shot better than 50 percent from the field for the game.
Additional Notes
- The Cougars received contributions throughout their lineup, with Moses Haynes recording six points and a team-high five assists, while Jake McGraw added five points, five rebounds and four assists. Keylan Smith contributed five points off the bench, and Cameron Karns finished with four points and four rebounds in eight minutes of action.
- Monday's matchup also featured a familiar face on the Evansville bench, as Purple Aces assistant coach DJ Balentine previously served as an assistant under Echelbarger at IU Kokomo. A Kokomo High School graduate, Balentine is Evansville's all-time leading scorer and has since returned to his alma mater as a member of the coaching staff.
IU Kokomo returns to regular-season action Wednesday evening, welcoming fellow IU regional campus IU Northwest to the Student Activities & Events Center for the first of two meetings between the programs this season.
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, X and Instagram.
