PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- A big, early deficit was too much for the University of Pikeville women's basketball team to overcome as it lost 83-58 to No. 4 Shawnee State (Ohio) in the Mid-South Conference opener on Saturday.

Pikeville (8-8, 0-1 MSC) got 16 points from Kayla Mullins and a terrific 12 point, 14 rebound double-double from Elisabeth Latham, but it never got over the hump despite cutting the deficit to just nine early in the fourth quarter.

Ashton Lovely poured in a game-high 25 points with the help of six 3-pointers and Hannah Miller added 17 points and two 3s as five from SSU reached double figures. Shawnee ended up with a 37-34 edge on the glass and outshot UPIKE 49 to 39 percent from the field.

Pikeville connected on all eight of its free throws, but SSU led the game in 3s 10-4.

Shawnee State (14-3, 1-0 MSC) rushed out to a 20-point lead in the first seven minutes, starting with a 14-0 run to start the game. SSU ended the opening quarter up 18 and went on to build a 30-10 lead with the first bucket of the second quarter by Laken Smith.

But once Lovely got into foul trouble the Bears were able to take advantage and go on a 14-2 run to get within eight on a 3-pointer by Mullins. Unfortunately for UPIKE, Hagen Schaefer answered with a 3 of her own and Miller added an old-fashioned 3-point play on the next possession to go back up by 14.

It ended up being an 8-0 run for Shawnee to end the half as it took a 40-24 lead into the break after holding the Bears under 30 percent shooting from the field.

With Latham going to work down low, Pikeville had one run left in it, this time outscoring SSU 14-3 over a five minute span to get back within eight. That ended up being as close as it would get though as every time the Bears made a big basket, Shawnee always had an answer.

Still, UPIKE pulled within nine with 7:52 to play on a Mia Greatrex layup, but once again, that sparked a quick 13-2 run for Shawnee which essentially put the game away. Bailey Cummins' runner in the paint just before the buzzer gave SSU its largest lead of 25 points.  

UP NEXT

UPIKE resumes conference play with another home game against Cumberland (Tenn.) at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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