Pikeville, KY – The story for UPIKE men's basketball in 2021 has been – when they're firing on all cylinders, this team can compete with any team they come across. Saturday's matchup with 16th ranked Martin Methodist showcased this once again, as UPIKE pulled together a team win at home in their 84-74 defeat of the RedHawks. 

The win is the second straight for head coach Tigh Compton's squad who have now claimed two-straight at home after taking down Life University on Thursday. The Bears hit the .500 mark with a record of 8-8 (6-7 MSC) that includes two wins over top 25 teams.

Guard Korbin Spencer piloted the Bears' offensive attack, scoring a career-high 21 points, matching his single-game rebound high with eight. Spencer shot 7-12 from the field, tacking on a pair of threes and going a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line. Power duo Darius Love and Malcolm Green both chipped in 15 points, with Green pulling in eight boards as well. 

The Bears held the RedHawks to just 35% from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc while UPIKE hit 45% of their shots.  
Both teams were off to the races from opening tip, fighting for control for the first five minutes as the teams were tied at 9 after a three-pointer from Jacob Brown with 14:52 to go.

Martin Methodist maintained for the better half of the period, leading the Bears by two possessions as the clock winded past the 11-minute mark.  
With 9:42 to go in the half, Spencer fired a deep three that put the crowd on their feet and put the Bears back in the lead. The Bears dropped seven-straight on buckets from Love,
Spencer and Green, charging ahead to a 23-16 lead inside eight minutes to go. UPIKE remained ahead, keeping the RedHawks at arms-length for most of the remainder of the half, before going back up by seven points following a bucket from Taevon Horton with 1:20 to go. At the break, UPIKE was up 39-32.  

After a set off free throws and another tough bucket from Green, UPIKE had control of the pace and harbored an eight-point lead with 17:59 on the clock. Jamir Simpson got involved in the paint in the next few possessions, teaming up with Love to extend the UPIKE lead 51-42 inside of 15 minutes to play.  

From just under 12 minutes left to about the nine-minute mark, the Bears surged for a 9-0 run that featured a three from Christian Sweazie and a pull-up jumper from Kenyon Stone, putting UPIKE up 61-52 with 8:59 to go. The Bears were in control for the remainder of the contest, keeping the double-digit lead for most of the remaining minutes. A series of free throws in the final minutes iced the win for UPIKE, winning 84-71 at the final buzzer.  

UPIKE men's basketball gets back to work on Thursday, January 28th as they travel to Campbellsville, KY to take on the Tigers.