Dearborn, MI - The men's basketball team extended their winning streak to three games on Monday defeating the Indiana University-Kokomo Cougars 78-72. The game featured eight lead changes and was tied six times. Michigan-Dearborn (7-7, 2-5) had four players score in double digits and limited the Cougars to just 27% shooting from behind the three point line. IU-Kokomo (4-9) was led by Trent Elliot who had 29 points, but the Cougars could not contain Michigan-Dearborn junior Marcus Williams who scored 8 of his 19 points in the last four minutes of the game including four free throws to seal the win.

In the first half, Michigan-Dearborn opened up a ten point lead after freshman Alex Hagel sank a three pointer. IU-Kokomo would chip away at the lead eventually pulling within one point until the Wolverines Anthony Barley made a three pointer with 23 seconds left in the half giving Michigan-Dearborn a 37-33 lead at halftime.

The Wolverines continued to maintain the lead throughout the first part of the second half but could not extend it to more than six points. IU-Kokomo eventually took a one point lead with just under 11 minutes remaining in the game. The two teams would battle back and forth as there were four lead changes and three ties in a seven minute span of the second half. With the game tied at 65, Williams took over. After freshman Xavier Crofford gave Michigan-Dearborn a one point lead with 3:45 remaining, Williams not only scored eight points in the final minutes of the game, he also had two blocked shots and a steal late in the game. Clutch free throw shooting by Williams and senior Paul Standtke preserved the 78-72 victory for the Wolverines.

Williams and Crofford each had 19 points for Michigan-Dearborn while sophomore Jason Penn added 16 points and Hagel chipped in with 12 points. The win gets the men's basketball team to .500 on the season with a 7-7 record. The team will look to go over .500 when they take on the Adrian College Bulldogs on December 30th at home at 7:30pm.