Wilberforce, Ohio - The Bears hit the road to take on Wilberforce University and defeated the Bulldogs 77-55 Thursday night. 

UPIKE got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-4 in the first five minutes of the game. The Bears went on a run late in the quarter but still trailed 18-16 after one. UPIKE opened the second on a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the game. After UPIKE went up 21-18, the Bulldogs went on a 12-2 run to go up 30-23. UPIKE scored four points right before the half and trailed 30-27 at the break. 

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs led 36-32 with 6:40 on the clock. After that point, the Bears outscored the Bulldogs 25-5. After scoring just 27 points in the first half, the Bears dropped 30 in the third quarter and shot 68.8% from the field. Hannah Roberts had 13 points, shooting 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from beyond the arc in the third. 

UPIKE continued to pour it on the Bulldogs in the final frame, stretching the lead to 22 in the first minute. The Bears led by as much as 26 after Allie Stone hit a three with just over four minutes left. UPIKE coasted to victory in the fourth and took this one 77-55. This game truly was a tale of two halves, with the Bears scoring 50 points and shooting 65% from the field in the second half.

Hannah Roberts scored a career-high 20 points to lead UPIKE in scoring. Roberts shot 7-11 from the field and 3-4 from beyond the arc. Allie Stone was second in scoring with 18 points. Mary Englert led UPIKE with 13 rebounds and was third with 12 points. As a team, the Bears shot 44.3% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. 

With the win, UPIKE's record now stands at 20-7 (15-6 MSC). The Bears will play their final game of the season this Saturday at 1:00 PM against the #1 Thomas More Saints. UPIKE will also be honoring their 2023 senior class before the game. 

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