PORTSMOUTH, Ohio. - After suffering a 70-35 defeat in Portsmouth on January 31 in the lone regular season meeting between the two teams, the IU Kokomo women's basketball team responded with a much stronger effort against Shawnee State on its home floor in the River States Conference Quarterfinals, battling throughout before falling by seven.

IU Kokomo finishes the 2025-26 season with an overall record of 12-14, including an 8-8 mark in River States Conference play. It marks the program's second consecutive 12-win season and the first time IU Kokomo has posted back-to-back double-digit win seasons since 2018-19 and 2019-20.

FAST FACTS - 56-49 loss at #2 seed Shawnee State

• LOCATION: Waller Gymnasium | Portsmouth, Ohio
• UPDATED RECORDS: IU Kokomo - 12-14; Shawnee State - 22-7
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKING: IU Kokomo - N/A; Shawnee State - N/A

THE RUNDOWN

• The IU Kokomo offense struggled to find its rhythm in the opening half, but a strong defensive effort kept the Cougars within striking distance, with a plus 12 rebounding margin playing a key role in keeping the deficit manageable.
• Shawnee State opened the game with an 11-0 run, as IU Kokomo didn't score until 3:22 remained in the first quarter. Four different Cougars combined for eight points in the closing minutes, cutting the deficit to a 15-8 Bears lead.
• The Cougars again struggled offensively in the second quarter, as the Bears quickly rebuilt a double-digit lead and maintained it through the half, heading into halftime up 29-17.
• IU Kokomo's defense came alive in the second half, as the Cougars outscored the Bears by five after halftime. Despite scoring just 10 points in the third quarter, second-year head coach Lisa Pflueger's squad held Shawnee State to the same output, keeping the deficit at 12 entering the fourth after briefly getting within eight.
• The Cougars opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to four, the closest IU Kokomo had been since the 8:23 mark of the first quarter.
• After a Shawnee State basket pushed the Bears' lead to seven, back-to-back paint buckets from Moriah Crawford and Mia Catey pulled the Cougars within three with 4:31 remaining. IU Kokomo forced a defensive stop on the next possession but couldn't convert offensively on a chance to tie, as the Bears secured the rebound and called a timeout.
• The Bears came out of the timeout and scored the next seven points to re-establish a double-digit lead, closing out a gritty IU Kokomo team 56-49, holding Shawnee State to their lowest offensive output of the season.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• In her final collegiate game, IU Kokomo leading scorer Mia Catey paced the Cougars with 13 points and added nine rebounds, finishing one rebound shy of a double double.
• Point guard Mackenzie York contributed 10 points while adding four steals and three rebounds.
• Graduate student Anya Friend turned in a strong performance in her final collegiate game, totaling seven points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
• Both Cameryn Rector and Lexi DiOrio contributed six points each, with Rector adding seven rebounds and three assists, and DiOrio finishing with five rebounds.
• Moriah Crawford battled on the boards in her final collegiate game, finishing just one rebound shy of a double-digit effort.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• "Very proud of our team. They bought into tonight's strategy and believed we could! We really battled and even out rebounded them. It was a physical game and super proud of our tenacity. We were within three and almost turned the corner. Big improvement from our student-athletes! Lots of heart these strong women have shown from start to finish. Sad day for our seniors. Thank you ladies for helping us to rebuild! We will be back." - Head Coach Lisa Pflueger

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.