Bowling Green, KY – Men's basketball ended the 2021-22 season Saturday afternoon with a 71-56 loss to (5) Thomas More in the MSC Quarterfinals. UPIKE men's basketball wraps up with a 17-13 (9-11 MSC) record, dropping in the quarterfinal round for the second straight season.

Kevin Bishop II finished with his first double-digit effort since Valentines day against the Phoenix, shooting an impressive 6-6 from the field to finish with 13. Kenyon Duling offered up a gritty 30 minutes of action, also scoring 13 while Korbin Spencer finished with nine points, four rebounds, and a pair of assists.

After trading buckets on the opening possessions, the Bears held the Saints lead to minimal until around the 14:00 mark when Thomas More mounted a 11-4 run to go up 24-13.

The deep ball was working for Thomas More early on and the Saints' defense made shot selection difficult for the Bears. TMU made six threes while UPIKE struggled to connect from deep, only hitting one three. Around the midway point in the first half, the Bears found some rhythm with the pick and roll option, with Kenyon Duling taking charge. A big difference for TMU came on the offensive glass, providing nine second-chance opportunities for the Saints in the opening 20:00.

The Bears broke the lead down to just 11 with under 5:00 to play in the half but Thomas More wreaked havoc on the interior. Duling finished the half with 11 points on 5-9 shooting.

Half two saw a spark of life from the Bears offense around the 16:00 mark in the midst of a 7-2 run that brought the lead into single digits. Bishop put together a stellar effort with nine points in the half but Thomas More kept a steady lead, burying the Bears with free throws late to claim the win.

UPIKE men's basketball looks ahead to the offseason with a lot of positives to build on. Keep up with the team's happenings on Twitter @UPIKEBasketball and Instagram @upikembb ahead of the 2022-23 season.