MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The University of Pikeville women's basketball team was outrebounded 43-28 in a 60-57 loss to Martin Methodist on Saturday in its final game of the MSC/SSAC Challenge. The Bears wrap up the event with a 2-1 record after playing three games in three days.
UPIKE (3-3) outshot the RedHawks 36 to 32 percent and hit four more 3-pointers, but the rebounding differential led to MMC attempting 68 field goals, compared to just 52 for the Bears.
Martin Methodist led the game 12-6 in second-chance points, 22-18 in points off turnovers and dominated points scored in the paint at 34-19.
The Bears never trailed in the first quarter, going ahead by as many as eight points at 14-6 at the end of the frame. That lead swelled as high as 15 points in the second quarter, including as late as the 2:03 mark at 27-12 on a layup by Jamie Castle.
At halftime, UPIKE was in front 29-16 after Emily Baker closed the half with s bucket in the paint.
The RedHawks outscored UPIKE 44-31 in the second half but were still down by seven at the end of the third quarter after Kayla Mullins sank a pair of free throws.
The final quarter is where the RedHawks made their move, led by five straight points from Brooklyn Blanchard as part of a 7-0 run that knotted the score at 40 with 6:58 to play. Less than a minute later, MMC grabbed its first lead of the game at 43-41 on another Blanchard 3.
From there, the lead would switch hands four times before Blanchard gave the RedHawks the lead for good at 51-50 with three minutes to play. MMC extended that lead to as many as five points in the final 20 seconds, but Rachel Lee and Adison Corder wouldn't let the Bears go away as back-to-back 3s made it a one-point game with four seconds left.
UPIKE sent Blanchard to the stripe where she made both shots and Lee's 3 at the buzzer was off the mark.
Castle and Corder led UPIKE in double figures with 22 and 12 points as they hit three 3-pointers each and Baker was the leading rebounder with eight.
Jemia Carpenter and Blanchard poured in 21 points each for Martin Methodist and Carpenter made it a double-double with 14 rebounds as well.
UP NEXT
The Bears are off until 4 p.m. ET on Friday when they host Central Methodist as part of the Walters Auto Classic in the East Ky. Expo Center.
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