IU Kokomo takes home-and-home against rival IU Northwest

This article was brought to you by the Kokomo Family YMCA. Holiday savings are here! Our swim lessons are now BOGO 50% off! Use code SWIM50 at checkout: https://operations.daxko.com/Online/5014/ProgramsV2/Home.mvc

Don’t miss your chance to register for our winter swim lessons! Your child can learn to swim even during the cold winter months in Indiana. Starting lessons now is a great opportunity to prepare for summer when everyone wants to jump in the pool and cool off. Beginning in the winter allows your child to acclimate to the water and learn essential swimming skills. When the sunny days return, you’ll be ready to jump right in! Lessons start in January!

Members will save up to $35, and non-members will save up to $65! Code expires on January 2, 2026! Register your child today, either in person at the Y or online: https://operations.daxko.com/Online/5014/ProgramsV2/Home.mvc

The Indiana University Kokomo Cougars men’s basketball team decided that Christmas couldn’t come soon enough. They piled up a pair of victories under the tree against their rival IU Northwest RedHawks, winning both ends of a home-and-home across 10 days.

The Cougars hosted the first of the two contests on Dec. 10, and at first it appeared that IU Kokomo might be getting coal for Christmas. Midway through the first half, IU NW threatened to run away with the contest. The RedHawks pushed their lead to 11 points with 9:56 remaining, and IU Kokomo called timeout. Something must have clicked in the huddle, because the Cougars began to slowly climb out of the hole they had dug.

And it was a team effort that erased all but one point of that deficit by the end of the half. Ty Wills, Jake McGraw, Ibrahim Diakite, Patric Matson, Joseph Annan Jr., and Evan Kretz each scored in the closing minutes of the half to bring the score to 36-35 at the break.

The second half saw the Cougars slowly and steadily walk away from the visitors. They took the lead for good just 1:14 into the frame with a dunk from Annan to make it 39-38. But the RedHawks stayed within striking distance for much of the remaining time. It wasn’t until Kretz hit a layup with 6:47 remaining to make the score 64-55 that it seemed the Cougars might breathe easy.

IU NW never got closer than five points the rest of the way. And as the trailing team began the time-honored tradition of sending the leaders to the foul line, it became obvious the strategy would find no purchase.

Kretz and Wills combined to hit 10 of 11 free throw attempts down the stretch to neutralize the RedHawks’ effort.

Wills led all scorers on the night with 23 points. Kretz added 20 points to go with a pair of blocked shots. Matson put up a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, as did Annan with 14 points and 15 boards.

Amazingly, the Cougars turned the ball over just four times during the game. They also outscored the RedHawks 21-7 from the foul line.

IU Kokomo traveled to the Savannah Center in Gary, Ind., on Dec. 20 to play the back half of this home-and-home match-up, and the Cougars prevailed again. They dispatched the RedHawks, 97-92.

Four Cougars scored in double-digits that night. Wills was good for 23 points to go with nine assists. Matson scored 22 points, and Annan tallied 21 points to go with 10 rebounds. McGraw had 16 points to go with a pair of blocked shots.

Unlike the contest in Kokomo, the Cougars established a thin five-point lead in the first half and held that margin through the back half of the game. In fact, after relinquishing the lead just a little more than three minutes into the contest, the RedHawks never led again. The home team did close to within a single score with 7:20 remaining but couldn’t get closer than three points for the balance of the game.

Now sitting at 8-3, The IU Kokomo Cougars next travel to Oakland City, Ind., for the Oakland City Classic on Dec. 29-30. They will face Campbellsville University (12-1) on Dec. 29 and Cumberland University (8-5) on Dec. 30. The Cougars next play at home on Jan. 6 against Oakland City (5-6).

See additional photos from this contest, courtesy of Adam Hartsough, on the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.