BECKLEY, W.Va. – No. 12 University of Pikeville survived a 19-2 explosion by WVU Tech early in the second half to open the season with a 77-73 win on Tuesday night at the Raleigh County Convention Center.
 
The Bears took a 45-30 lead to the half, and after the teams traded buckets to open the second frame, the Golden Bears made 7 of their next 10 shots, including 4 of 5 from three-point range, to take a 51-49 lead with 12:01 left.
 
Tech's lead grew to 55-52 when junior Ian Goings hit a jumper with 8:37 left in the game.
 
From there, UPike needed less than two minutes to score nine unanswered points. Senior Bradley Bunch had five of them, including a three-point shot with 6:41 to play to put his team on top 61-55.
 
Tech drew no closer than two down the stretch.
 
The Bears jumped out to an early 10-point lead less than five minutes into the game. They scored the first five points of the game, and, leading 10-7, got consecutive baskets from senior LA Walker, and when senior Keian Worrix nailed a three with 15:16 left, the lead was 17-7.
 
A seven-point run that took 2:23 off the clock cut into UPike's lead. Freshman Roman Kellum's made a free throw with 8:58 left had the Golden Bears within four at 25-21.
 
But a 16-3 stretch that nearly took the teams to the half gave UPike a nice lead. Hitting 6 for 9 in the 5:43 run, Bunch and junior Robby Todd had five points each. A three-point play by Walker was followed by a Bunch three to put the Bears on top 43-26 with 1:37 left.
 
The lead was 45-30 at the half.
 
Worrix led the Bears with 17 points. Most of his damage came from the free throw line, where he was 8 for 12. He led four Bears in double digits, scoring between 12 and 17.
 
Walker followed with 16 points to go with seven rebounds. Bunch opened his senior season with a double-double, scoring 13 and pulling down 10 rebounds.
 
Senior Keynan Cutlip had 12 points.
 
UPike hit 41.9 percent from the floor, including 9 for 26 (34.6 percent) from the arc. WVU Tech shot 46.2 percent and was 8 of 25 (32 percent) from outside. The teams had 40 rebounds each.
 
Junior Jackson Tackett led Tech with 22 points and nine rebounds, going 9 of 12 from the floor. Junior Brandon Moore followed with 17 and six. Goings had 14 points.
 
UPike will head to Huntington, Ind., for a classic this weekend. They'll play Huntington on Friday at 6 p.m. before taking on Florida Memorial University at 1 p.m. Saturday.