KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Struggles on the glass and at the free throw line hurt the University of Pikeville on Saturday afternoon in an 85-68 loss to Ave Maria (Fla.) University.
 
The Bears saw a five-game win streak come to an end in the NAIA showcase The Show at the MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort. They now stand 5-2 on the season.
 
Ave Maria (6-0) won the rebounding battle 48-31, while the Bears shot only 13-of-24 (54.2percent) from the free throw line, including missing their last four as they dug back to within 11 with 3:23 left.
 
There were two big differences in the teams in the first half. The first was three-point shooting, where Ave Maria hit 9-of-22 for 40.9 percent while the Bears were only 3-of-13. The second was rebounding. The Gyrenes controlled the boards 29-15, including 13 offensive rebounds.
 
That resulted in 13 more field goal attempts for AVU and a 52-40 halftime lead.
 
Senior Issac Stanback got the Bears off to a good start, scoring all their points in a 7-3 start.
 
But the Gyrenes ran off 10 straight, getting half of them from Noryen Lasley on a corner three and a putback, to take a 13-7 lead with 14:57 left.
 
Ave Maria led 28-16 before the Bears got back in it. Junior guard Kyonte Thomas and grad student Korbin Spencer scored, and, after senior Jeremy Dillon hit a free throw, Spencer nailed a three and with 9:03 left, the Bears were within four, 28-24.
 
But in less than two minutes the Gyrenes got those points back. Nick Filchner scored inside and then hit a three from the wing, and when Michael Klekas nailed a three of his own, it was back to a 12-point lead at 36-24 with 6:48 left in the half.
 
The Bears found themselves down 63-45 with 14:09 left when they made a charge. It began with a three-pointer from the top by Dillon, followed by a Bradley Bunch layup. After Jonathan Effertz made two free throws, layups by Stanback and Keian Worrix pulled the Bears within 11 (65-54) midway through the period.
 
But the Bears just had no answer and got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
 
Stanback paced the Bears with 21 points, hitting 9-of-12 from the floor. Spencer flipped in 16 in only 16 minutes, while Thomas has 12.
 
Bunch led the Bears with 10 rebounds to go with eight points.
 
Klekas led the Gyrenes with 19 points to go with seven rebounds while Effertz added 18. Filchner had 13 while Miles Monchecourt came off the bench with 12 points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
 
The Bears will be back in action on Sunday afternoon, facing Southeastern (Fla.) University at 12:45 to wrap up play in The Show.