Pikeville, KY – (2) Campbellsville was on the ticket for UPIKE women's basketball Friday night as the Bears looked to take down their third ranked opponent of the season. Despite the Bears' leading throughout the game, Campbellsville surged in the final four minutes to pull out the 85-74 victory.

UPIKE held even with the Tigers in the first quarter and even outscored the second-ranked Campbellsville squad in the second period 26-25. Over the course of the third and fourth periods, Campbellsville positioned themselves to win outscoring the Bears 39-28. The fourth quarter won the battle for the Tigers who went 63% from the floor, only missing a single shot in the last four minutes.

Solid shot selection defined the first half for UPIKE with the team shooting a 60% clip in the second quarter alone. Overall the Bears finished 31-66 from the floor for 47%. Dominance on the offensive boards saw UPIKE tally 16 offensive, and 37 total rebounds. The team neared their season high assist total with 17, showcasing a balanced attack.

Brianna Burbridge once again proved her elite status, becoming the driving force pushing the Bears in the second half. The senior was lights out from the floor, connecting on 80% of attempts and even showed off her range with a pair of three pointers. Alexis Reed led the first half effort, running point for the UPIKE offense and dropping 16 points. Morgan Stamper was a force in the paint, pulling in a game high 14 rebounds including eight offensive rebounds.

The first half opened with a 5-0 Campbellsville stretch before the Bears' got on the board with a layup from Mary Englert. Englert strung together a series of well-played possesions in the first, and even added a three pointer that positioned the Bears to take the lead. With 2:50 to go in the first quarter, Alexis Reed splashed a three that put UPIKE up 15-14.

Quarter two belonged to the Bears who led the majority of the period thanks to their best shooting of the contest. Reed drilled a pair of threes while Burbridge handled duties in the paint and UPIKE looked in control heading into the final four minutes of the half. Campbellsville managed a few good posessions before the buzzer but the Bears headed into the locker room with a 46-45 lead.
The game heated up in the third, with both teams battling for leverage. Campbellsville fought and stayed on UPIKE's heels, tying the game for the first team at the 1:55 mark. The Tigers capitalized on empty UPIKE possessions and went up 60-58 to close the quarter.

Campbellsville pulled together their best quarter in the fourth, yet UPIKE remained resilient and took advantage of opportunities. With 4:22 left to play, Englert connected on a layup and on the next possession Burbridge came up big with a game-tying shot from beyond the arc. The story of the last two minutes was the Tigers' poise from the charity stripe as the squad went 9-10 from the line in the final minute, sealing the 85-74 win.

UPIKE women's basketball will return to action for a New Years Eve contest at Thomas More. Tip-off between the Saints and Bears is slated for 1PM on Thursday, December 31^st.