ATHENS, Tenn. – Sometimes, it's good to be Bradley Bunch.
 
The senior from Big Stone Gap, Va., had a career-high 36 points and added 10 rebounds to lead the University of Pikeville to a 94-76 win over Tennessee Wesleyan University.
 
Bunch scored his 36 on only 22 shots, going 4 for 6 from the arc and 6 of 7 at the line. It was the most points scored by a Bears since All-America Jayvian Delacruz tossed in 37 on November 30, 2018 in an 86-79 win over the University of the Virgin Islands.
 
Bunch's previous season high was 23 on Dec. 6 at Spartanburg Methodist. His career high before Saturday was 30 on Nov. 30, 2024 in The Show against Saint Francis (Ind.) in an 88-75 win.
 
Finally, Bunch now has 1,386 career points, moving him into 15^th on the all-time scoring list. In the game, he passed Terry Epling, who had 1,375 in his hall of fame career.
 
UPike has now won 10 straight games and is 11-2 on the season. They now have a 7-0 record in the AAC and a 2-1/2 game lead.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan is 5-6 overall, 4-3 in the league.
 
Bunch opened the game with a layup, which was answered by Bulldog Cory Marshall with 19:10 on the clock. Bunch followed with a  three at the 18:43 mark, and the Bears were never equaled again.
 
UPike led 9-8 when it ripped off a 15-2 run that took 6:26 left in the first half. Freshman Zion Blevins started it with a layup, joining Bunch with six points each in the stretch. Bunch ended it with a layup and free throw with 10:13 left in the half to put the Bears on top 24-10.
 
The Bears closed the half with a 10-2 stretch in the final 1:50. This time sophomore Jaylan Rigdon led the way with five points, and his layup at the buzzer sent the Bears to the break with a 57-30 lead.
 
Bunch, meanwhile, sank three free throws with 7:54 remaining in the game and only took one more shot the rest of the way.
 
Three teammates joined Bunch in double figures, led by sophomore Rylee Samons, who scored 16 points on 6 for 9 shooting. The Pikeville product was 3 of 6 from the arc.
 
Senior Keynan Cutlip and Blevins had 12 points each, combining to go 5 for 5 from the line.
 
The nation's leading free throw shooting team, UPike was 14 for 16 (87.5 percent) in the win.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan, which is coached by Belfry native Randy Casey, a former UPike assistant under Kelly Wells, had six players in double digits in the game. Senior Charles Neverdon paced the Bulldogs with 16 points along with six rebounds and two steals. He added four assists.
 
Sophomore Reshaun Hampton and junior JJ Rueckert followed with 12 apiece. Junior Shon McGee, freshman Jack Armstrong and senior Stratton Lovvorn tossed in 10 markers apiece.
 
UPike will return to the Appalachian Wireless Arena on Tuesday night, where it will face the No. 9 team in the country, former Mid-South Conference rival University of the Cumberlands.
 
It will mark the first meeting between the teams, which also formerly shared the KIAC, since January 14, 2023. The game will tip off at a special time of 6 p.m.