Box Score

PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The second-ranked University of Pikeville men's basketball team had a 67-64 lead against Campbellsville with a minute to play and that was the score it ended up winning by in a crazy finish at the East Ky. Expo Center on Thursday.

Pikeville (26-2, 16-1 MSC) went to the free-throw line twice in the final minute, but missed the front end of the bonus both times. Campbellsville (14-13, 9-8 MSC) turned the ball over after the first miss and couldn't connect on two 3-point attempts after the second as time expired.

Both Miles Rice and Jordan Myers got good looks to possibly send the game into overtime, but both attempts sailed long. Myers had hit three 3-pointers leading up to his final shot.

Pikeville was led by a balanced scoring attack that featured four players in double figures. Josh Whitaker led the group for the second straight game with 19, followed by Keala King with 16 points, Bruce Reed with 11 and Kenny Manigault adding 10. Reed also collected 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double.

Elisha Justice scored just six points on a pair of threes, but also dished out a game-high five assists. The 16 wins in Mid-South Conference play are tied for the most in league history. 

Campbellsville shot just 36.2 percent from the field, which was important for UPIKE's defense as the Bears were beat on the glass 43-28. A'Darius Pegues led the Tigers with 15 points and eight boards.

It took over four and a half minutes for UPIKE to score its first point as King added a free throw to make it a 4-1 Campbellsville lead. The Tigers crept up by seven a few minutes later before a 9-2 Bear run tied it up at 15-15 after a three from Whitaker.

Campbellsville last lead of the game came at 22-21 after a pair of Rice free throws, Manigault turned a turnover into a layup to put Pikeville up 23-22 and it never gave up the lead, although things did get interesting late.

Whitaker opened the second half with a three to make it an 11-point Pikeville lead, but Pegues cut it to nine on the next possession and the Bears' lead never reached double figures again. Instead, Campbellsville got within one with about four minutes to go after a 14-6 rally.

Manigault came up big late in the game around the rim, finishing two close-range shots to keep the Bears in control. Over the final three minutes, Campbellsville only points were a hook shot from Pegues and two free throws from Eric Gaines.

Pikeville returns to the court for one last regular-season contest at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, hosting No. 23 St. Catharine (Ky.) for senior day at the East Ky. Expo Center.