KINGSPORT - CIU men's basketball's offense was stagnant in the early going, and the Rams fell 86-54 to (RV) Indiana University - Kokomo (IUK) to kick off NAIA "The Show" on Friday. The meeting was the first all-time between River States Conference (RSC) perennial power IUK and reigning Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) champion CIU. The Rams fall to 6-2 on the season, while the Cougars now hold an undefeated 7-0 record.

A lid was fixed on the Rams' basket in the first half as CIU shot 30% percent from the field and 16% from three in the game's first 20 minutes. The Cougars opened the game on a 12-1 run that CIU was unable to recover from. Brandon Hunt and James Davis were bright spots off the bench, as Hunt scored five and Davis scored six in the first half. 

The Rams picked up their shooting clip in the second half, going 48% from the field and scoring 35 points in the final 20 minutes of action. 

Christian Howard was the only Ram in double-figure scoring for CIU, posting ten points. Hunt finished with nine points and four rebounds, while Ried Warga chipped in eight points and four boards on the evening. 

Up Next: The Rams will play their second and final game of NAIA "The Show" versus Cumberland University (Tenn.) tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 25, at 4:15 p.m. EST in Kingsport.