SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's basketball earned a key River States Conference victory Saturday afternoon, holding off Indiana University East, 69–62, inside the Knoerle Center.

With the win, the Pomeroys improved to 11–13 overall and 5–7 in River States Conference play, winning a tight contest that featured just one lead change and strong defensive play down the stretch.

SMWC built its advantage early, using a balanced offensive effort and strong rebounding to take a 41–23 lead at halftime. The Pomeroys shot 50 percent from the field in the opening half and controlled the paint, setting the tone defensively.

IU East made a push in the second half, outscoring SMWC 39–28, but the Pomeroys answered each run and closed out the game at the free-throw line to secure the seven-point victory.

Mike Ajukwa led all scorers for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, pouring in 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while adding four rebounds. Mikey Johnson chipped in 15 points, and Kyle Tolbert added a game-high 20 points off the bench for IU East.

The Pomeroys held a 42–31 advantage on the glass and finished with 37 bench points, providing a critical boost in a physical conference matchup.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods will return to the road next week, traveling to IU Kokomo for a River States Conference matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 10, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. (ET).