RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The University of Pikeville hit 13-of-14 from the free throw line in the final 2:48 to knock off No. 14 University of Rio Grande 93-87 on Tuesday afternoon at Newt Oliver Arena.
 
The tosses came after the Red Storm made a furious 16-4 run in only 3:22 to get back in the game.
 
The win was the ninth straight for Coach Clifton Williams' club, which improved to 11-2 on the season. Rio Grande fell to 11-3 on the campaign.
 
The Bears led 72-59 after senior Morgan Stamper scored on a layin with 6:36 left the game when the Red Storm began their comeback. The 16-4 stretch was keyed by junior Kaylee Darnell, who had seven, and when she scored inside with 3:14 left, the game was down to a single point, 76-75.
 
But from there, the Bears put it away thanks to their remarkable shooting at the line which saw them sink 12 straight to hold on. Four different players went to the line down the stretch, including Stamper, who went 6-of-6 in the run to hold on for the win.
 
The Bears trailed 4-2 early when they went on their first run of the game, outscoring the Red Storm 10-2 in a 2:10 stretch. All five baskets were layups, with Stamper scoring two of them. When sophomore India Blyth scored inside with 5:14 left in the opening period, the lead was 12-6.
 
The Bears then had 10 unanswered points, keyed by the defense. Sophomore Allie Stone and senior Bailey Birchfield nailed three-point shots, followed by a Stone layin and two free throws by senior Morgan Stamper.
 
UPike's run was aided by limiting the Red Storm to a single shot in the 3:16 stretch to give it a 22-9 lead with 1:05 left in the first.
 
Freshman Rachel Bush scored on a layup with three seconds left in the first quarter. That bucket would start a 13-2 stretch that saw graduate student Bailey Frazier score five and Stone four, and the Bears led 35-13.
 
Four Bears reached double digits in the game, paced by Stone's 23. Frazier followed with 20 and added four rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots.
 
Stamper, who was named AAC player of the week on Monday, had a season-high 17 points to go with 14 rebounds, giving her seven double doubles on the season and three straight. Her efforts helped the Bears to a 32-26 advantage on the glass.
 
After pulling down her 1,000^th career rebound on Saturday, the Independence, Ky., native now has 999 points.
 
Bush was also in double figures, scoring 16 to go with four rebounds and three steals.
 
Darnell led all scorers with 29 for the Red Storm. She also had five steals, four rebounds and three assists on the afternoon. Junior Lexi Woods added 12 for Rio Grande.
 
UPike will try to continue its winning ways on Friday afternoon, when it hosts Oakland City (Ind.) University at the Appalachian Wireless Arena. Game time is set for 2 p.m.