Pikeville, Ky. – UPIKE men's basketball fell in a thriller with Washington Adventist Saturday night by a final score of 64-63. The Bears trailed by as much as 21 points in the first half before mounting an impressive comeback that saw them take the lead with 5:26 to play.
Korbin Spencer took over the comeback effort, finishing with a career-high 25 points. Spencer also matched his career-best total of 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. The guard finished with an efficiency rating of 20.0, playing all but one minute. He also finished with a season-high four threes, hitting three in the second half alone.
Devin Collins was a key factor in the offensive attack, totaling 19 points on 6-11 shooting. The transfer also recorded a season-high five rebounds. Teddy Parham Jr. finished with 10 points and three rebounds.
Washington Adventist owned the opening half, shooting 65.4% from the floor and outrebounding the Bears 15-12. The Shock used points off turnovers and points in the paint to build a 38-23 lead after 20:00 minutes played. Ethan Murphy was the standout shooter for the Shock in the opening half, hitting 7-8 shots to head into the break with 14 points.
The second half saw the Bears cut back on turnovers, win the rebounding battle, and make better decisions shooting the ball. UPIKE shot 40% in the second half, using six three-pointers to facilitate the comeback.
In the first eight and a half minutes of the second half, UPIKE went on a 22-11 run which was headed by Parham Jr. with 10 points. A Collins layup with 10:44 to play put the Bears within two possessions, trailing 49-45. Collins and Spencer splashed threes in the following minutes, tying the game at 51 with 7:18 to go.
Washington Adventist answered with a three and scored once more to lead by five, before Collins again stepped up with a three to keep the Bears in contention. After forcing a missed three, Spencer drained a three at the other end, giving the Bears their first lead of the contest, ahead 57-56 with 5:26 remaining. Spencer continued to control the game, drawing a foul on a made three-pointer, putting him on the line where he completed the four-point play.
The teams continued to battle, and the Shock tied the game at 63 all before a foul with 1:17 to go gave them an opportunity at the line where they would take the lead. In the final seconds, two costly turnovers prevented the Bears from getting a shot up and Washington Adventist took the win.
UPIKE men's basketball returns to work on Thursday, December 1st, as they return home for an MSC matchup with (RV) University of the Cumberlands. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 PM in the UPIKE Gym.
