FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The No. 5-ranked Indiana Tech men's basketball team won its fifth straight game Saturday afternoon as they defeated Indiana University Kokomo, 88-78, in nonconference action at the Schaefer Center.
 
Joel Wincowski scored a career-high 28 points on 12-15 shooting (4-6 from three-point range) to lead all scorers while Darren Groves had 12 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists to notch his six straight double-double and his first career triple-double. It is only the fourth triple-double in the NAIA this season. Dylan Phair added 13 points while Logan Primerano chipped in 11 points.
 
Tech jumped all over the Cougars to begin the game with a 9-0 run and causing the visitors to call a timeout at the 17:36 mark. A 10-0 spurt from the Warriors grew the lead to 24-6 with 13:30 on the clock. The onslaught would continue from the Orange and Black as a 7-0 run pushed the advantage to 34-10 halfway through the first. The Cougars found a little bit of rhythm towards the end of the half and used an 11-7 spurt to make it a 51-38 game at the break.
 
IU Kokomo continued to push the Warriors as the second half unfolded as they cut the deficit down to 11 points following a 6-2 run. A 6-0 run from Tech, coupled with a 2:13 scoreless drought for the Cougars, allowed the Orange and Black to extend their advantage up to 19 points with 10 minutes to play. A fast-break layup from Primerano made it an 80-59 contest with 8:03 to play and the Warriors held a 21-point advantage with 3:58 to play as they held off a later charge from the Cougars to move to 2-0 all-time against IU Kokomo.
 
Tech (6-4) returns to Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) action on Wednesday as they travel to Lourdes University. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. from the Ebeid Recreation Center.