Pikeville, KY – UPIKE men's basketball adds a hard earned MSC victory to their 2020-21 record following Tuesday night's showdown with Campbellsville. As has been the case with the talent gauntlet that is the Mid-South, the game was a riveting battle that came down to the wire with UPIKE having the final word – securing the 83-76 win. The Bears improve to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

The highlight performances were plenty for both teams with several players posting big numbers including UPIKE junior Jacob Brown who contributed a season-high 17 points and five rebounds. Brown drilled eight of 13 shots from the floor in 30 solid minutes. Malcom Green went 4-5 from the field and a perfect 2-2 from deep to total 14 points in the win. Those two aforementioned Bears also linked for one of the most important plays of the game in a fourth quarter moment that saw Brown finish on a big three off a dime from Green.

Jordan Perry, Taevon Horton, and Korbin Spencer all finished with 11 points in the win. Horton also posted five rebounds and a trio of three pointers while Perry and Spencer both pitched in four assists.

Overall the Bears had a very efficient shooting performance, connecting on 32 of 57 shots for a 56% clip. UPIKE added ten three pointers in the win, including a few very well timed deep balls in the fourth quarter. Campbellsville took the slight edge in rebounding, pulling in 30 boards to UPIKE's 27. A big factor in the win was the Bears' ball distribution as the team tallied 13 assists.

The first half was a dynamic game of cat and mouse as UPIKE held onto the lead for most of the period. Campbellsville fought back towards the end of the period though and reclaimed the lead twice in the final ten minutes. The story for the Bears was solid shot selection, with Green, Brown, and Christian Sweazie all contributing to an excellent showing from the floor. Spencer was the catalyst for UPIKE's largest lead of the first 20 minutes, capping off a 7-3 run at the 12:11 mark to put the Bears up 20-13. The momentum shifted in the Tiger's favor during the backend of the period though as they would tie the game twice in the final six minutes before taking the lead going into the half. After 20:00 minutes played, the Tigers led 38-37.

UPIKE got off to a solid start in the early part of the second half, as buckets from Perry, Brown, and a three from Spencer put the Bears in the lead. Campbellsville regained the lead with 12:40 left to play but the advantage was short lived as the Bears quickly buried a pair of shots via Green and Horton. The Bears played well ahead, going up seven as the teams headed towards the final 10 minutes of play.

The Tigers were relentless in their attack, successfully creating free throw opportunities and taking advantage – they would end up going 11-14 from the charity stripe in the second half. The game seemed still up for grabs even as UPIKE took a seven-point lead with 2:22 to go, as Campbellsville continued to answer with aggressive plays. The final two minutes were a nerve-wracking affair, as Campbellsville capitalized on a pair of free throws and a field goal to make it a three-point game. With a minute left however,
UPIKE's defense held the Tigers from deep complimented by four free throws at the other end which carried the Bears to finish out the contest with the 83-76 win.

The Bears are back in action at home on Saturday, December 12 for more MSC play against the Georgetown Tigers. Tip-off from Appalachian Wireless Arena is slated for 4PM.