ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. – Milligan University scored 12 unanswered points late in the third period and held on for an 84-78 win over the University of Pikeville on Saturday afternoon.
 
UPike (13-7, 9-5 in the AAC) led 49-44 after consecutive baskets by sophomore Allie Stone, the latter coming on a layup with 3:07 left in the third quarter.
 
But the Buffaloes got started 20 seconds later on a jumper by sophomore Semaj Clark, followed by a three-point play by grad student Halie Padgett. A Padgett layup on the next possession put Milligan in front 50-49.
 
Senior Jaycie Jenkins took over from there, nailing a jumper followed by a three-point basket. The Buffs needed exactly 2:30 to turn the five-point deficit into a 56-49 lead.
 
Pikeville got within three with 6:35 left when Stone nailed two free throws and a jumper to make it 62-59 before Milligan answered with seven straight to push the lead to double digits.
 
The Bears rallied again, getting two free throws from senior Morgan Stamper after Stone connected twice from the line to again pull within three, this time at 78-75, with 26 seconds left.
 
But Milligan sank six consecutive free throws from that point on to hold on for the win.
 
Stone led all scorers with 26 for the Bears, followed by 18 from graduate student Bailey Frazier, who was 2-of-3 from the arc. She also had four rebounds, four assists and four steals.
 
Freshman Rachel Bush followed with 14 points and six rebounds, while Stamper turned in her ninth double-double of the season with a dozen points and 13 rebounds.
 
Padgett finished 9-of-12 from the field to lead the Buffs with 23 points. Jenkins followed with 21 on 8-of-12 shooting to go with a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Junior Lauren Longmire had 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Clark had 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
 
Pikeville will be off for a week before returning to the court on Saturday, hosting Johnson (Tenn.) University at the Appalachian Wireless Arena at 2 p.m.