The University of Pikeville opened play in The Show on Saturday afternoon with a 97-59 win over IU-East.
 
The premier showcase of NAIA basketball, The Show is held annually at the MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort & Convention Center.
 
UPike is now 7-2 on the season and will take a six-game win streak into Sunday's game against No. 7 Life (Ga.) University at 12:45 to wrap up its play in The Show.
 
The Bears blistered the nets, hitting 55.9 percent overall and nailing 13 three-point shots. Just as importantly, they held the Red Wolves to 33.3 percent shooting and only 20 percent from the arc.
 
They also had a 46-35 advantage on the glass.
 
UPike jumped out to a big lead, scoring 26 of the first 35 points. It did so by shooting 11 of 13 from the field and 2 for 3 from outside. Meanwhile, the Red Wolves were only 4 for 15 from the field.
 
Zion Blevins scored 10 during the run, while Bradley Bunch and LA Walker had seven each.
 
The key stretch was an 18-2 run that took 4:55 off the clock, as the Bears were 7 for 8, hitting both three-point shots and both free throw attempts.
 
Blevins scored eight un that outburst, with Bunch tossing in seven, and when a Blevins layup with 13:54 left put the Bears on top 22-6.
 
In the greater stretch, a jumper by Blevins and a layup by Keian Worrix put the Bears on top 26-9 with 12:11 left in the half.
 
At the half, Blevins had 14 and Walker 10 as the duo combined to go 9 of 10 from the field, pull down nine rebounds and block three shots to give the Bears a 54-30 lead.
 
UPike scored the first 12 points of the second half, holding the Red Wolves scoreless for nearly six minutes to start the frame. Three players provided the offense, as Keynan Cutlip had five, Blevins four and Walker three, as the Bears charged out to a 66-30 lead before IU-East finally scored with 14:17 left to play.
 
Blevins led all scorers with 20, pulling down seven rebounds and blocking four shots. He led five players in double figures.
 
Sophomore Rylee Samons hit four of his team's 13 three-pointers to finish with 14. Walker had 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Jaylan Rigdon had 11 points, six assists and five rebounds and Cutlip tossed in 10.
 
The Red Wolves, which fell to 4-3 on the season, had only one player reach double digits in scoring, as Kyle Tolbert had 13.