Senior Bradley Bunch scored 21 points to lead four Bears in double figures as the University of Pikeville knocked off No. 9 University of the Cumberlands 86-80 Tuesday night at the Appalachian Wireless Arena.
 
For the Bears, the win was their 11^th straight and their second win over a Top 10 team since Thanksgiving, having beaten the No. 7 team in Life on Nov. 30.
 
For the Patriots, it was the first loss of the season after 13 straight wins.
 
In the first half, Bunch moved into 14^th place on the school's all-time scoring list, surpassing Hall of Fame member Mike May. He now has 1,407 points in his career.
 
Trailing 40-38 at the half, UPike turned the game around with a 12-2 run to start the second frame. Layups by senior LA Walker and freshman Zion Blevins put the Bears on top 42-40 with 19:10 left in the game.
 
Cumberlands tied the game on a jumper by senior Kyle Duke, but a Bunch bucket with 18:07 put the Bears ahead to stay. It was the first of eight straight, and a layup by Keynan Cutlip with 16:11 left put UPike on top 50-42.
 
The Patriots pulled within five, 74-69, with 2:48 remaining. But from there, UPike made 12 out of 14 from the free throw line to hold on for the win.  
 
UPike opened by scoring 11 of the first 13 points against the ninth-ranked Patriots. Four different players scored, with Bunch leading the way with four, and when Cutlip scored with 16:36 left, the lead was 11-2.
 
The Patriots stormed back with a 16-2 run of their own to take the lead. The 6-minute stretch was keyed by junior guard Brant Smithers, who had the first eight and totaled 10 in the stretch, which ended with Cumberlands in front 22-17 with 7:49 remaining in the half.
 
The Bears regained the lead late in the half when Worrix followed a three by Bunch with a layup to make the score 34-32 with 2:25 to play.
 
Cumberlands responded with an 8-2 run to regain the lead, and was on top 40-38 at the break.
 
Worrix followed Bunch in double figures with 15, shooting 9 of 9 from the line. He also had seven rebounds and three assists.
 
Walker and Cutlip had 10 markers each. Cutlip had six rebounds and five steals, while Walker sank all six from the line.
 
For the game, UPike – the nation's leading free throw shooting team – was 31 for 34 (91.2 percent) from the stripe.
 
Duke led all scorers with 32 for Cumberlands. He also had six rebounds. Smithers came off the bench for 16 thanks to four three-pointers, while senior Andrew McConnell had 13.
 
Junior Abraham Ibezimakor led the Pats with 10 rebounds.
 
UPike will take a 12-2 worksheet into the final game prior to the Christmas break when it faces the University of Rio Grande on Saturday afternoon. The game, which will be played at the historic Williamson (W.Va.) Field House, will begin at 5:30 p.m.