CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – UPIKE men's basketball lost an absolute heartbreaker at Thomas More on Thursday, 64-61.

Thomas More closed the game on a 9-1 run as Reid Jolly hit a three-pointer from the corner with three seconds left, which gave the Saints its first lead of the game.

UPIKE had one of its best defensive games of the season, holding TMU to 41 percent shooting, which was lower until the 3-point floodgates opened in the final minutes.

The Bears opened with one of the best defensive opening sequences of the season, holding the Saints to just nine points in the opening ten minutes.

Offensively, UPIKE was led by two of its freshmen in JJ Ramey and Korbin Spencer. Ramey led the Bears with 15 points and seven rebounds, both team highs.

Spencer scored nine points and had three steals, while also causing multiple other turnovers.

Jazz Parker also had a strong game for the Bears with 12 points and four rebounds.

UPIKE went into halftime with a seven-point lead and survived an opening blitz from the Saints thanks to a spark off the bench from Da'Rell Domineck. The big man scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench just outside his hometown of Cincinnati.

Pikeville was also done in by its foul trouble that hit in the second half. Deandre Barton, Domineck, and Luke Layhew all struggled with fouls and had to be held back offensively and defensively.

UP NEXT

UPIKE basketball begins a three-game homestand this weekend as the Bears host Georgetown at 4 p.m. on Saturday at UPIKE Gym.

-UPIKE-