PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville put five players in double figures as it finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 78-67 win over Tennessee Wesleyan University.
 
The Bears will enter their first AAC tournament with a record of 22-6 overall, 20-4 in league play and riding a six-game win streak. The 20 AAC wins are the most conference victories in a season in school history.
 
The Bears jumped out to a quick start. Senior Jeremy Dillon split a pair from the line before consecutive layups by junior Kyonte Thomas and Dillon made it 5-0.
 
Junior Amauri Young got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard inside before sophomore Bradley Bunch and senior Issac Stanback had layups for the Bears. A jumper by junior Ty Hurst interrupted the run for the Bears, but a Stanback dunk was followed by Thomas free throws to put the Bears in front 13-4 with 13:46 left in the half.
 
TWU (10-14, 10-13) came back and needed only 1:10 to go on a 9-0 run to take the lead. Young scored the final four on a jumper and layup, putting the Bulldogs on top 20-17 with 9:59 left in the first frame.
 
Less than two minutes later, the Bears posted their own 9-0 run. Sophomore guard Keynan Cutlip had five of them, including the layup with 5:37 left to put the Bears on top 28-22.
 
The run was followed by six more UPike points, with four coming from sophomore guard Keian Worrix at the free throw line, and when Bunch scored inside with 2:59 left, the Bears were on top 34-24.
 
By halftime, the Bears led 42-28.
 
In the second half the lead built to as many as 21 when Cutlip hit a triple with 10:09 to push the advantage to 65-44.
 
The Bulldogs got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.
 
Stanback, the senior from Chicago, finished with 14 points and a dozen rebounds for his 14^th double-double of the season. Three other Bears joined him with 14 markers: Bunch, Dillon and Cutlip.
 
Bunch added eight rebounds and Dillon grabbed five.
 
Thomas, the junior guard, had a solid night across the board, finishing with 11 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
 
TWU was paced by Young's 17 points thanks to 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Junior Jay Reed had 10 points and led the team with eight rebounds.