WILBERFORCE, Ohio – The University of Pikeville women's basketball team shot just 36.8 percent from the field, allowing NCAA Div. II Central State to come back for an 86-82 win behind 61.1 percent shooting, despite turning the ball over 27 times, in the Ben Waterman Classic hosted by the Marauders on Sunday.
Kelah Eldridge matched a season-high with four threes on her way to 17 points, helping the Bears to a 39-38 halftime lead, but Central State couldn't miss in the second half. The Marauders shot over 70 percent in the final 20 minutes and UPIKE struggled with turnovers, matching a season high with 23 and only nine assists.
Central State (2-4) only hit one three in the game and hit one less free throw than UPIKE, but five more made field goals proved the difference.
Iniquia Snell led the Marauders with 24 points, followed by Amanda Piece with 19 and Bria Spaulding and Demetria Nunley-Lash adding 11 each.
Kandice Porter backed up Eldridge with 15 points, Khalilah Quigley added 13 and Shekinah Gibson tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a season-best six on the offensive glass. UPIKE (9-4) led the game on the glass 45-31, including a dominant 26-4 advantage in offensive boards.
That mark led to a 21-4 lead for the Bears in second-chance points, but Central State made up for it a bit with a 46-36 margin in points in the paint.
There were nine ties in the game and two lead changes, including one in the first half. The Marauders shot out to a 14-point lead at the 8:57 mark, but UPIKE went on a 19-5 run over the next five minutes and eventually took a four-point lead with 26 seconds left until the break.
For the first 14 minutes of the second half the Bears stayed in front, including a lead by as many as 12 points on an Erin Swatzel layup with 9:39 left. A 14-2 Marauder run followed, leading to the next tie at 70-70 with 5:26 on the clock.
Snell put Central State up by two with a layup on the next possession and UPIKE never could get back in front and tied the score just once more at 75 all. Central State was up three with 23 seconds to go and Eldridge and Aunrea Matchen missed back-to-back layups, forcing the Bears to send Central State to the line where it sealed the win.
UPIKE is back on the court at Noon ET on Dec. 17 at UVa.-Wise.
