PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- The first test of the 2014-15 season for the University of Pikeville women's basketball team will come on the road as it travels to Montgomery, W Va., at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday to take on the Golden Bears of West Virginia Tech.
The game is being streamed live on West Virginia Tech's YouTube channel, while live stats are also available.
UPIKE and West Virginia Tech have played every year for the last eight seasons and the series is locked at 9-9 in that span. The Bears are 5-4 at home against Tech and an even 4-4 on the road, while the lone neutral loss came in the first round of the 2007 Mid-South Conference Tournament.
West Virginia Tech left the MSC after the 2011-12 season and is now an independent in the NAIA. The Golden Bears are coming off an 11-15 season in which they won one game in the Independent Tournament before falling to top-seeded Lindenwood-Belleville 86-60 in the second round.
Last season's leading scorer for the Golden Bears, Nia Nolan, returns for her senior season after averaging 18.2 points per game, while second leading scorer Cheyanna Lusk at 11.4 ppg also returns for her junior campaign.
UPIKE won both meetings with Tech last season, winning 93-59 at home and 81-70 in Montgomery. Prior to those two wins, the Bears had lost four straight in the series. UPIKE does return four players from last season that spent some time in the starting lineup, but will also be working in a mix of 10 newcomers to the rotation.
