CLEVELAND, Ga. – Two players finished one point shy of their career highs as the University of Pikeville knocked off Truett McConnell University 96-69 on Monday night.
 
Junior Bradley Bunch scored 29 points in the win, while junior Keian Worrix finished with 24 as the Bears won for the third time in a row to remain a half-game behind Bryan (Tenn.) College in the AAC standings with an 11-3 record.
 
The Bears host the Lions on Saturday afternoon at the UPike Gym.
 
Bunch was 11 of 14 from the floor and finished 5 for 8 from the arc on Monday. He was one point shy of his career high of 30, which he set on Nov. 30 in an 88-75 win over the University of Saint Francis.
 
Worrix, meanwhile, was 9 of 14 overall and 6 for 7 from outside. He set his career high of 25 points on Feb. 18, 2023, as a freshman in an 84-83 win over Thomas More.
 
Both did far more than score on Monday. Bunch had seven rebounds while Worrix had three and both handed out four assists in the win.
 
With 2:01 remaining in the first half, UPike began a 15-4 run that would extend into the first minute of the second frame. The Bears made all five field goals, including all three three-pointers, and both free throws in the sequence.
 
Bunch had seven in the stretch, and when it ended, the Bears led 53-40 with 19:49 left.
 
The lead was 59-47 before the Bears posted 14 unanswered points in only 3:19. Three players scored, led by junior Tyler Best with six. Worrix tossed in five and the run began with a Bunch three-pointer.
 
When Best nailed a three with 11:42 to play, the lead was 73-47.
 
The lead eventually grew to 29, 96-67, in the final minute of play.
 
Bunch and Worrix were joined in double figures by graduate student Cade Looney. On the day he was named AAC offensive player of the week, Looney fired in 18 points while grabbing five rebounds.
 
UPike, which shot 53.7 percent overall and 57.1 percent from the arc, won the rebounding battle 39-24. In addition, the Bears made all eight free throw attempts and had 18 assists compared to only six turnovers.
 
Truett McConnell had four players in double digits, led by graduate student Myles McCrary with an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double. Senior EJ Smith followed with 13 points, while sophomore Jadon Yeh scored 12 while handing out six assists.
 
Senior Raul Arias-Ortiz had 10.
 
UPike and Bryan will play the second game of a Saturday-afternoon doubleheader and are scheduled to tip off at 4 p.m.