BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – The college basketball season has opened with an absolute thriller, as No.12 Union College held serve to knock off RV University of Pikeville 84-81 in overtime.
 
The season opener, between the teams picked one-two in the AAC, came down to the wire. A three by Union senior Anton Mozga with 1:54 left in regulation broke only the second tie of the game and put the Bulldogs up 71-68.
 
The Bears responded, as sophomore Keian Worrix beat his defender to the basket and then senior Issac Stanback concerted a three-point play with 41.8 seconds left to put the Bears on top 73-71.
 
Stanback finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Union needed only 10 seconds for a three-point play of their own, as senior Marklo Sullivan got credit for a goaltend and then hit the toss, to put Union on top 74-73.
 
A free throw by Stanback with 17.1 seconds left sent the game to overtime tied at 74.
 
The Bears scored first in the extra frame when sophomore Bradley Bunch scored on a layup, and after a three by Bulldog Markelle Turner, scored inside again to give the Bears a 78-77 lead with 3:54 left.
 
The teams exchanged free throw misses before Union got a dunk by Terrin Hamilton and a reverse layup by Deonte Douglas to take an 81-78 lead.
 
Union led 83-80 with 2.9 seconds left when Bunch was fouled on a three-point shot. He missed the first and made the second. Needing the miss, he did, but Union's Sullivan grabbed the rebound. He hit one of the free throws to set the final score.
 
The Bears stormed out of the gates, scoring the first 10 points with four difference players finding the basket. A follow-up dunk by senior Issac Stanback with 14:37 left ran the score to 17-4.
 
Two minutes later, a free throw by Stanback made it 21-6.
 
After Union posted a 7-2 run thanks to four points by senior forward Will Bailey to cut it to 23-13, the Bears posted seven unanswered points. This time it began with a three by senior Jeremy Dillon and two quick layups by Stanback to make the lead 30-13 with 9:09 left.
 
But Union needed less than two minutes to post nine straight of its own. Senior Anton Mozga began it with a three and ended it with a layup with 7:19 to play to cut the lead to 30-22.
 
The Bears drove it back to 12 on a free-throw jumper by Dillon to beat the play clock to make it 37-25 with 4:28 left.
 
From there, the Bulldogs closed the half on an 11-4 run, getting the final three from senior Markelo Sullivan on a layup and, 23 seconds later, a free throw.
 
The Bears went to recess on top 41-38. That was the closest the game had been since grad student Korbin Spencer hit a three from the wing with 18:48 left to make it 5-0.
 
Stanback was joined in double digits by Bunch, who fired in 24 and grabbed 10 rebounds.
 
Hamilton led the Bulldogs with 22, followed closely by Sullivan's 21 points and 11 rebounds.
 
The teams will meet again this season when the Bulldogs head to Pikeville on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
 
UPike is back in action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Milligan (Tenn.) University at the UPike Gym. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.