Pikeville, KY – Wednesday afternoon sixth-seed UPIKE women's basketball matched up with 11-seed Cumberland in an MSC opening round matchup with a trip to the MSC quarterfinals on the line. UPIKE Gym hosted what would become one of the closely contested games of the season that resulted in the Bears punching their ticket to Bowling Green, edging the Phoenix 63-60.

The re-seeding of teams keeps UPIKE (14-8, 9-8 MSC) as a six-seed with eight teams remaining. The Bears will take on Lindsey Wilson in the quarterfinals, slated for Saturday, February 27^th at the Bowling Green Arena. The Blue Raiders are the three-seed of the tournament with a record of 18-4 and 13-4 in MSC play.

UPIKE was without several key pieces on Wednesday but that didn't stop the Bears from pulling together an impressive performance. Mary Englert had a career game, dropping 28 points adding seven rebounds. The Madeira, OH native capitalized on opportunities from the free throw line, hitting 13-15 from the stripe. Zaria Hollier stepped up in a big way, notching a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds on a clean 6-8 from the floor. Hollier also recorded three steals and a pair of assists.

Sierra Feltner showed off her adaptability and versatile skillset, showcased by her statline that included 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and a steal. The Whitley County product played all 40 minutes, a season-high for the junior who aided the Bears in the opening round victory.

The game was absent of much rhythm from either squad due in part to the frantic pace in defensive play. UPIKE hit 31% from the field but connected when it counted, making good on 50% in the fourth quarter. The Bears were resilient defensively in the final period as well, holding the Phoenix to just five shots and a 23.8% clip. UPIKE distributed the ball well in the win, dishing out 13 assists as a team.

The first quarter was close for the majority of the period, with neither team building much of a lead. Cumberland threatened a run in the final five minutes of the quarter but threes from Englert and Feltner kept the Bears close. In the last two minutes, Julia Parker splashed a triple followed by another from Englert and finally Hollier banked a tough shot in the final minutes to give the Bears an 19-15 lead heading into the second.

Free throws from Fatma Aouinet and Englert capped off a good start to the second period as the Bears grabbed a seven-point lead with 6:58 to play. The Phoenix kept it close and tied the game once again at 22 with 3:33 left, but Englert once again propelled the Bears forward with free throws and a three with 2:33 remaining in the half. UPIKE held a 29-25 lead heading into the locker room.

The third quarter saw a resurgence from Cumberland who scored quickly and got ahead by as much as eight with under five minutes to go in the quarter. The Bears fought back to within two and the quarter ended with a three from both sides, the Phoenix leading 44-41.

The entirety of the fourth felt like the Bears were tetering on the edge of sealing the win but the Phoenix stayed resilient, hitting several key shots to remain within reach. The Bears had a five point lead with 4:43 after a free throw from Englert before the Phoenix turned around and hit a three that made it a one possession ballgame two possessions later. Feltner's three at 2:02 gave UPIKE some breathing room leading 54-49 but two free throws and a three later the Phoenix were right back, tying the teams at 56. In the final minute, Englert was the x-factor from the free throw line, splashing four straight as the Bears sealed the 63-60.

UPIKE's matchup with Lindsey Wilson on Saturday is slated for 7:30 PM CT / 8:30 PM ET in Bowling Green, KY.