PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- Late in the fourth quarter, it appeared that UPIKE was on the way to letting a game it had controlled for most of the night. However, the Bears were able to mount a huge run in the closing minutes to put away Life, 85-68.

With 5:30 to go Life hit a three-pointer to cut the Bears' lead down to just one point. From there, UPIKE went on a 23-6 run in under four minutes to put the game away. Life began to foul when the Bears built the lead to ten points, but Pikeville executed in the clutch by hitting making 90 percent of its free throws in the fourth quarter. UPIKE made 87.5 percent of its free throws on the night as a whole, a season high.

Brianna Burbridge put up a 20-plus point double-double for the second game in a row, this time with 20 points and 14 rebounds. For the first time this season, a teammate joined her in the double-double club as Emily Baker scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Also for the first time this season, four Bears (Burbridge, Baker, Theodora Odia, and Mary Englert) all scored in double figures.

The Bears had complete control through the first half, building as much as a 21-point lead late in the second quarter thanks to Burbridge's dominance on both ends. In addition to her double-double, she also added eight steals, six of which came in the first half.

Once UPIKE had that 21-point lead, Life closed the quarter on a 9-0 run. That momentum continued in the third quarter getting the lead down to two points multiple times. However, after Life scored the first bucket of the game, UPIKE never trailed in the game from that point on.

Pikeville now sits at 12-6, and 1-1 in the Mid-South Conference. The Bears will play the middle game of its three-game homestand on Saturday against Cumberlands (Ky.) at 2 p.m.

-UPIKE-