PORTSMOUTH, Ohio - Thanks to the effort of a big first quarter run, UPIKE women's basketball secured a big non-conference win on Saturday to close out the Penn Station Classic. 

UPIKE outscored (RV) Faulkner 28-13 in the first quarter to build a big early lead that the Bears would ride to a 69-57 victory on Saturday. It's the second year in a row that UPIKE has picked up a big win at the Shawnee State-hosted event after Pikeville defeated then ranked Talladega last season. 

The win extends UPIKE's current win streak to four games and is their 10th win of the season.

The Bears' shooting was lights out in the crucial first period, especially from long distance. Pikeville shot 5-10 from behind the arc in the first period, two of which were from sophomore guard Sierra Feltner. Feltner was UPIKE's leading scorer in the contest with 15 points. 

UPIKE's big lead was built almost entirely at once because of a 14-2 run. Pikeville dominated the offensive glass in that time with multiple offensive rebounds by Brianna Burbridge. 

Burbridge picked up yet another double-double in the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kayla Mullins was the other Bear in double figures with 11 points. 

As dominant as UPIKE's offense was in the first quarter, UPIKE's defense took over in the second. The Pikeville defense limited the Eagles to just 3-11 shooting in the second period and nine points. The Bears went into halftime with a 16-point lead. 

Faulkner's offense began to take off a bit in the second half, while Pikeville's cooled off, but the Bears did the easiest thing possible to maintain a lead: get - and make - plenty of free throws. 

The Bears hit 14 of 19 free throw attempts in the second half to set the game on ice and stop any threat of a Faulkner comeback. 

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UPIKE returns home for its final game before the holidays when they face Kentucky Christian on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Appalachian Wireless Arena.