PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- The wait is over as the Mid-South Conference portion of the University of Pikeville men's and women's basketball seasons is here on Saturday. Shawnee State (Ohio) is the opening opponent with the women tipping off at 2 p.m. ET with the men to follow at 4 inside the East Ky. Expo Center.
Both games can be seen live here and will have live stats on the NAIA Dakstats site.
On the men's side, the Bears are 81-4 inside the East Ky. Expo Center since 2013 and will look to improve their 16-0 start against Shawnee State. UPIKE leads the all-time series 20-3, including a 9-1 record at home. Pikeville has won the last 12 games in the series, last losing in 2011 at home 86-84. In the most recent game, UPIKE held off SSU 63-57 in Portsmouth, Ohio with Jordan Perry's 21 points leading the way.
Shawnee State counts on Jayllen Carter and Frederick Moore for most of its scoring as the only two players averaging double figures. Carter is the team's leading 3-point shooter at 37 percent and Moore scores around the basket at nearly 50 percent, while also being the leading rebounder (7.8 rpg). SSU's 78.5 points per game rank 61st nationally and its 4.9 blocks per contest rank seventh.
The battle of the Bears on the women's side resumes with the 41st meeting in the series. Shawnee State leads the way between the two teams 36-4, with all four of UPIKE's wins coming at home. The last time Pikeville topped SSU was back in 2011, 70-67. The last times the teams played was in the semifinals of last season's MSC Tournament with Shawnee winning 79-74 behind 20 points from current senior Madison Ridout.
SSU is no doubt one of the best teams in the nation, as evident by its No. 4 national ranking, 11-3 record and ranking in the top 10 of 13 different statistical categories. The standout stat is the +30.1 scoring margin which is the widest in the NAIA. SSU is also the third best shooting team at 48.4 percent and third highest scoring at 84 ppg. Bailey Cummins is sixth nationally in 3-point shooting at nearly 50 percent, connecting on 30 threes so far, and Ridout ranks 11th in steals with 39.
-UPIKE-
