Campbellsville, KY – UPIKE women's basketball faced-off with the top-ranked Campbellsville Tigers on Thursday evening, falling just short of the upset by a final score of 78-74. The Tigers narrowly escaped the Bears fourth quarter comeback to remain undefeated.

The Bears were calculated from the floor, connecting on 49% of shots in the contest including a 41% clip from beyond the arc. UPIKE also managed to fall 11 of 15 attempts from the charity stripe for 73.3%. UPIKE edged the Tigers in all three shooting categories in the contest and outrebounded them 41-38. The Bears' kryptonite was ball security on Thursday night, turning the ball over 22 times which led to Campbellsville's 28 points off turnovers.

Senior sensation Brianna Burbridge once again filled the stat sheet with her 12^th double-double of the year. The Frankfort, KY native shot 11 times from the floor, connecting on nine to finish with 20 points, also adding 14 rebounds. Alexis Reed got hot in the second half, scoring nine of her 17 total points. Guard Sierra Feltner dropped 15 points while Morgan Stamper finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

Burbridge and Stamper combined for eight of the Bears first 10 points to open the ballgame while Campbellsville built a slight advantage thanks to a timely three in the first three minutes. UPIKE trailed by six with 5:00 to go in the first period before back-to-back three pointers from Feltner and Reed tied the ballgame at 17 with just under four minutes to go. Burbridge made good on a dribble drive on the final possession of the quarter to give UPIKE their first lead of the ballgame, as the Bears headed into the second period ahead 24-23.

Julia Parker put an end to a Tigers run early in the second, splashing a trey to tie the game back at 27 all. Campbellsville answered with back-to-back layups as would snag the lead, leading by as much as six through the second before 6-0 run by UPIKE tied tge game at 35 with 3:54 to play. The teams went back and forth in the final minutes of the half and it was Campbellsville who would hold the three-point advantage at the buzzer.

The third quarter opened with a surge from the top-ranked Tigers as they launched a 12-0 run stretching four and a half minutes that put them ahead 58-43. Burbridge and Stamper fought for the Bears, but the Campbellsville offense claimed the third quarter and led 64-55 heading into the final period.

With 8:10 remaining in the game, Hailey Free gave the Bears a spark in the form of a three-pointer that made it a six-point ballgame. Campbellville answered with a three of their own and would extend their lead to 10 with 6:17 left. UPIKE hit two threes in the next four possessions and stood within four points of the Tigers heading into the final three and a half minutes. Reed and Feltner teamed up to head to comeback and had the Bears within two points with 0:46 on the clock. UPIKE failed to connect on the final pair of possessions, allowing Campbellsville to notch two more free throws to seal the win.

UPIKE women's basketball return to the court on Saturday, January 30^th to take on Georgetown. Tip-off from Georgetown, KY is set for 1:30 PM.