PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- Trey Rakes wasn't interested in taking an early-season loss as he led all scorers with 21 points to help the 19th-ranked University of Pikeville men's basketball team top Bluefield 81-65 on Friday in the UPIKE Tip-Off Classic.

Darrion Leslie tallied double figures as well with13 points, while Rze Culbreath and Richard Freeman chipped in with 11 each. UPIKE outrebounded Bluefield 37-35 with the help of seven board from Michael Lewis.

Bluefield turned the ball over 31 times, compared to 18 from the Bears, but shot slightly better than UPIKE at 43.6 to 42.6 percent. The Rams were led in scoring by Tony Hood with 13 points.

Rakes scored the Bears' first five points during an early stretch where shots weren't falling, his hustle eventually rubbed off as UPIKE (2-0) shot out to a 20-12 lead after a 3-point play from Darrion Leslie.

But the good times didn't last as UPIKE again struggled from the field right when the Rams were heating up, resulting in losing the lead at 21-20 after a 9-0 run that included a 3-pointer from Isiah Gill.

Bluefield (0-1) was still in front at 30-29 with less than four minutes left in the half, but the Bears went ahead on a three by Rze Culbreath on their way to a 38-36 halftime lead, but the biggest run of the game was coming in the second half.

There was still some life left for the Rams as they opened the final 20 minutes on a 6-0 run to take their largest lead of four points, but it sparked something special out of the UPIKE defense.

A suffocating full-court press ensued, leading to a 28-5 stretch that saw UPIKE go from two baskets down to a 19-point lead over an eight-minute span in which the Rams gave up 10 turnovers.  

Bluefield never recovered.

Fifteen points is as close as it got on two occasions over the final eight minutes as UPIKE stayed comfortably in the lead with the help of three late triples from Rakes.

UP NEXT

UPIKE returns to action at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday against Bob Jones in the final game of its Tip-Off Classic.

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