PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- With seven players scoring in double figures, including five that came off the bench, the eighth-ranked University of Pikeville men's basketball team used a true team effort to rout visiting Cincinnati-Clermont 115-69 on Friday night.

No one played more than 18 minutes as the Bears improved to a perfect 14-0 with 54 percent shooting from the field while holding the Cougars (8-7) to just a 38 percent mark, Forty-one of Clermont's 69 points were scored by Jack Engelman and Jimmy Hayes with 23 and 18 points, respectively.

For UPIKE, it was Rodney Hawkins leading the way with 12 points and seven rebounds on a very balanced night. Darrion Leslie and Jayvian Delacruz added 11 points each and Jordan Perry, Mason Blair, Evan Runkel and Basil Thompson all added 10.

Michael Chambers had a solid night at the point guard spot with six points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists.

The Bears controlled the glass 51-35 behind Da'Rell Domineck and Hawkins with seven boards each and maybe most importantly of all, UPIKE dished out 22 assists with just three turnovers. Clermont, on the other hand, had 21 turnovers that UPIKE turned into 31 points.

At the midway point of the second half the lead grew to 50 points before head coach Kelly Wells emptied his bench the rest of the way. A Chase Coomer 3 in the final seconds got Clermont to its final deficit of 46 points.

It was a quick start for the Bears as they made their first six shots to take a 13-2 lead on a baseline jumper by Perry not even two minutes into the action. The lead swelled to 20 on a Domineck layup before the 10-minute mark and UPIKE never looked back. At halftime, it was a 62-27 lead as Hawkins closed the scoring with a put back at the buzzer.

UP NEXT

UPIKE will enjoy a holiday break before coming back to face Bluefield (Va.) at 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 30 in the East Ky. Expo Center.

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