Pikeville, KY – The University of Pikeville men's basketball team suffered their second loss this season and first loss at home to Thomas More University, 81-70. The Saints held a steady lead throughout the contest, as the Bears never led in the second half.

Darius Love had 25 points for the Bears to lead the team, his third 20 plus point performance this season. Kenyon Duling (11), Malik Malone (11), and Kevin Bishop II (10) all scored in double-digits for UPIKE. Korbin Spencer led the team with five rebounds and five assists.

The Bears fall to 11-2 this season and 4-2 in the Mid-South Conference, which is a tie for second place. They have a break from action for Christmas but return to the court on December 30th where they host the University of Rio Grande Red Storm.

How It Happened
The Saints jumped out to a quick 16-8 lead in the first half just seven minutes into the contest. However, a 9-1 UPIKE run tied the score at 17-17. The run was fueled by four Bishop II points.

The Bears would eventually take the lead at 22-20 after a three from Kenyon Duling with under 10 to play in the half. UPIKE would hold the lead for the next several minutes until a Wyatt Vieth free throw put the Saints ahead 30-29.

A Love three-pointer gave the Bears their final lead of the game at 32-30 before Thomas More would reclaim the lead for good with 3:43 to play in the first half. They took a 42-34 advantage into halftime.

In the second frame, Thomas More jumped out to one of their largest leads of the game at 53-42 with under 15 minutes to play. They would continue to hold a strong lead, leading by as many as 13 with 8:48 left in the game. However, the Bears would not go down quietly.

Trailing by 10 with 6:21 to play, a Bishop II layup started an 8-0 flurry that culminated in a Malone free throw that made the score 68-66. Unfortunately for UPIKE, that was as close as they would get. The Saints built their lead for the remainder of the game and came away with the 81-70 victory.

What's Up Next
As mentioned, after Christmas, the Bears play in the UPIKE Gym on Thursday, Dec. 30 against University of Rio Grande at 2:00 p.m. These teams met a pair of times during the 2020-21 season, with each team winning a game.