GAME FACTS
Date: Thursday, Feb. 22
Time: 6 p.m. ET (women), 8 p.m. ET (men)
Site: The Eagles' Nest, Marietta, Ga.
TV: None
Streaming: Life U Network
Radio: Z1075 FM (men), Joe Kinzer (play-by-play)
Live Stats: DakStats
Next UPIKE Games: Saturday, Feb. 24 vs. Cumberlands in Pikeville, Ky., at 2 p.m. ET (women), 4 p.m. ET (men)
Men's Game Notes | Women's Game Notes
PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- The final road trip of the regular season is important for both the University of Pikeville men's and women's basketball teams as they head south to face Life on Thursday night in Marietta, Ga.
UPIKE's third-ranked men's team has a golden opportunity to wrap up the Mid-South Conference Regular-Season Championship. The Bears have already assured themselves at least a share of the title, but a win in the next two games would make it theirs alone.
The Bears have been the sole owner of the MSC regular-season title just twice since joining the league for the 2000-01 season. Pikeville won it that first season and didn't claim another until 2014. More recently, UPIKE shared it with Campbellsville in 2015.
On the women's side, UPIKE is looking to strengthen its hold on fifth place in the MSC standings. Currently the Bears are the only team with four conference wins, but Cumberlands and Georgetown are both in contention to tie them with two games remaining.
The top four seeds for next week's MSC Women's Basketball Tournament in Pikeville are already wrapped up, but other than top-seeded Shawnee State (Ohio) knowing it will face No. 8-seed Life in the first round, the other three matchups are to be determined.
Live video is available of UPIKE's games at Life on Thursday via the Life U Network and the men's game can also be heard locally on Z1075 FM.
This is 21st-ranked Life's fourth season as a member of the MSC. In that time, the Bears are 4-4 against the Running Eagles, last losing 78-63 in the 2017 MSC Tournament championship game. In the last 12 meetings, UPIKE is 7-5 against Life. After Life beat UPIKE is in the MSC Tournament last season, it didn't lose again until the NAIA national title game. Earlier this season, the Bears won 97-78 behind 25 points from Jordan Perry.
Life is only in its second season of women's basketball. The Running Eagles won their first conference game on Feb. 1 against Cumberlands at home. Earlier this season, UPIKE topped Life at home 86-77 behind 36 points from Jamie Castle.
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