Emory, VA - The University of Pikeville men's basketball team recovered from a two-point halftime deficit to beat the Emory & Henry Wasps Tuesday night on the road, 83-71. Outside of their exhibition contest at Marshall University, this was the Bears first road game of the season. They were led by Korbin Spencer, who netted a career-high 22 points in the contest, while also grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. This is the first double-double of Spencer's UPIKE career. Also recording double-digit points were Kevin Bishop II (19), Kenyon Duling (12), and Taevon Horton (10). Duling also led the team with four assists in the contest. 

After a first half that saw the Bears trail by as many as six, they took the lead midway through the second half and never looked back en route to their sixth victory of the season. UPIKE is now 6-0 this year and will welcome Ohio Valley University to Pikeville Saturday afternoon for their next game.

Early Deficit
As mentioned, the Bears were trailing for most of the first half, only taking the lead for around a five-minute stretch in the middle of the half. They trailed 35-33 at the break, and the Wasps continued to hold the advantage in the second half. They led by as many as seven and led by six with 11:21 to play.

Taking The Lead And Never Looking Back
With the Bears losing 53-47, a momentum shift occurred in the game. Three Spencer points and two Bishop II points cut the lead to 53-52 before a Christian Sweazie three-pointer gave UPIKE their first lead of the half at 55-53 with 9:42 left to play.

A Spencer three made it 58-53 and the Bears were off to the races. This would ultimately turn into a 22-2 flurry and dash any hopes of a Wasps victory, as the score became 69-55 with just over five minutes remaining. UPIKE would lead by double-digits the rest of the way, leading by as many as 15 in their eventual 83-71 triumph.

"We knew as a staff we would have to battle a little bit of a let down coming off such a big week last week" said UPIKE head coach Tigh Compton. "We got off to a tough start and knew that Emory would have the confidence they needed to hang around. Kudos to them and their kids for being ready to play."

"Tonight was a great lesson for our guys. If you don't come prepared to play your best every time you step out onto the floor you are setting yourself up for major disappointment. At the end of the day, I'm very proud of them for finding a way to win on the road despite not playing our best basketball."

Inside The Box Score
After a tough first half from downtown for the Bears, they picked it up out of the locker room, knocking down five threes in the second half. They shot 36.8% from beyond the arc and 47.3% from the field in the contest. Depth was once again a key for UPIKE as they had 62 bench points and 38 points in the paint. 

What's Up Next
As mentioned, the Bears return to Appalachian Wireless Arena on Saturday afternoon where they host the Ohio Valley University Fighting Scots at 4:00 p.m. This will be the first meeting between these two schools.