Balanced Attack Lifts Women's Basketball to Win Over IU-Kokomo

(Lansing, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar women's basketball team had been battle tested in the early goings of the 2024-25 season, but those challenges helped prepare the Cougars to earn their first win of the season, as they defeated the visiting Indiana-Kokomo Cougars 73-53 at Gannon Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

Kokomo would open the game scoring the game's first five points, but Cleary got on the board on an Izzy Dugal pair of layups.  An Amy Jackson three would give the Cougars the lead, and a pair of Samantha Hoelscher free throws would extend the lead to 9-5 for Cleary.  Kokomo would go on a run to retake the lead, but Taedom Stein knocked down a three of her own, giving the Cougars a 12-10 advantage, one that Cleary would not relinquish for the rest of the game.  Cleary would expand their lead to twelve points in the second quarter, when Makenna Jarratt hit a three, but Kokomo would finish the half on a 6-1 run, after making a pair of free throws with less than one second on the clock, and Cleary went into the half leading 31-24.

Rylee Thomas got things going in the third quarter, with a made three pointer, and Mileisha Rodriguez would help the Cleary lead grow to twelve once again to make the score 36-24.  Kokomo would go on another run, and cut the Cleary lead to one when it was 41-40, but Cleary would respond, scoring twenty straight points before Kokomo broke the run, and Cleary led 61-42 after three quarters.  Cleary would expand their lead to twenty-two points in the fourth quarter after Mileisha Rodriguez hit a free throw, and Izzy Dugal made another layup.  A pair of Samantha Hoelscher free throws gave Cleary a twenty-four point lead with 1:29 to play, their largest lead of the game, and Cleary leading 73-49.  Kokomo would get a couple quick layups, but the final horn would sound and Cleary would win 73-53.

Amy Jackson and Samantha Hoelscher each led Cleary with 15 points apiece.  Jackson would hit 5 three's in the game to go with 5 rebounds, while Hoelscher added 8 rebounds.  Mileisha Rodriguez was perfect from the floor en route to her 11 points and 9 rebound game.  Taedom Stein had 10 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals.  Izzy Dugal added 8 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, while Amelia Storm chipped in 6 points and Makenna Jarratt added 5 points.

Cleary shot 48% from the floor to Kokomo's 29%.  CU outrebounded Kokomo 45-31, and scored 30 points in the paint to Kokomo's 22.

The win now gives Cleary a 1-4 record on the season.  The Cougars will be back in action next Saturday when they host the Saint Xavier Cougars in a non-conference game at Gannon Gymnasium.  Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM.