MARIETTA, Ga. – UPIKE lost back-to-back games for the first time since the end of the 2012-13 season as Life upset the third-ranked Bears 91-84 in their regular-season finale on Thursday.
Kenny Manigault poured in a career-high 44 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome UPIKE's 16 turnovers and shooting just 37.5 percent from the field.
Life outrebounded the Bears 55-50, hit two more 3-pointers (5-3) and got 20 points from Caleb Hayes and 17 from Donterrius Clinkscales to prove the difference. Hayes and Clinkscales combined to go 17 of 23 from the free-throw line.
Colt Chapman also had a career-high scoring night for the Bears with 17 points, but third-leading scorer Macari Brooks finished with just five and UPIKE's leading scorer K.K. Simmons tallied just one point after shooting 0 for 11 from the field.
It was Simmons first game of the season without hitting at least one 3-pointer as the junior averages nearly four made threes per game.
After trailing by one at halftime, UPIKE shot out of the gate to take a nine-point lead early in the second half. But then the Running Eagles took off and never stopped, eventually going up by 12 at 80-68 with less than four minutes to play.
UPIKE (25-4, 12-4 MSC) started off slow, missing its first four field goals, before a 3-point play by Manigault made it 5-3 early. Shortly after that the Running Eagles went on a 6-0 run to break things open a bit at 13-5.
Simmons went straight to the cup to try and get UPIKE going on the next possession, but made just one free throw after a foul. The Running Eagles responded with a three from Caleb Hayes to take a 10-point lead.
It was still a 10-point game with seven minutes to go in the half after Manigault helped the Bears stay close with back-to-back 3-pointers. Life briefly went up by 12 before a 6-0 UPIKE run cut the deficit in half as Chapman converted off a turnover.
With 1:34 left before halftime, the Bears clawed even closer as Manigault grabbed two offensive boards before making a shot to make it 35-31. Life (15-14, 6-9 MSC) missed the mark on a jumper its next time down and Malik Jacobs finished a fast-break chance to help continue the UPIKE comeback.
After Hussey made a free throw with 43 seconds on the clock, the Bears had gotten all the way back within one at 35-34, which would end up as the score at halftime.
The second half couldn't have started better for the Bears, grabbing their first lead of the game at 36-35 on a bucket by Manigault. Then over the next three minutes UPIKE went on an 8-0 run and led 44-35 on a basket by Christian Leach.
Life didn't stay down for long though as it outscored the Bears 13-4 to tie the game at 48 with 12:40 to play. The Running Eagles eventually led by nine at 71-62 after outscoring UPIKE 22-7 during a six-minute span earlier in the half.
With 4:09 to go Life led 74-68, but following a technical foul on the Bears, things got away from them as the Running Eagles scored six unanswered points to go back up by 12.
The game became a free-throw contest over the next minute until Trey Rakes knocked down a much-needed three to cut the deficit to seven with less than two minutes to go. UPIKE would still need some help from the Running Eagles at the line.
Joe Wilbert helped the Bears by hitting just one for Life at the line before Leach made it to the stripe on the next trip for two makes. Up 86-60, Life got a big boost from Hayes who hit its first field goal in over two minutes to go up by eight with under a minute left.
Manigault added two from the stripe for UPIKE with 37 seconds remaining, but Hayes answered right back with two makes to keep the lead at eight. Chapman scored a basket to get within six before Clinkscales hit one free throw to get to the final seven-point margin. Manigault's final field-goal attempt with 11 seconds left was off the mark.
UPIKE will share the Mid-South Conference Regular-Season Championship with the winner of No. 7 Georgetown at No. 9 Campbellsville on Saturday. Up next for the Bears is the MSC Tournament on March 6-8 in Frankfort, Ky.
