Box Score KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Top seeded University of Pikeville used a late 17-0 run to pull away from No. 7 Truett Mconnell (Ga.) University for a 72-58 win in the quarterfinals of the AAC men's basketball tournament on Thursday afternoon.
 
UPike (24-5), which beat TMU for the third time this season, advanced to Friday's semifinals, where they'll meet the winner of No. 2 Johnson (Tenn.) and No. 5 Bryan (Tenn.) at 6 p.m. at the MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort.
 
A layup by grad student Miles McCrary with 9:42 left in the game put Truett on top 46-45.
 
From there, the Bears scored the next 17 points over a 5:13 stretch. They missed only one shot and hit 4 for 5 from the arc. AAC Player of the Year Bradley Bunch and all-conference junior Keian Worrix had five each while junior Keynan Cutlip had four.
 
When it ended, the Bears led 62-46 with only 3:05 left.
 
Truett (13-15) scored with 10:34 left in the first half to take a 17-16 lead, but that's when UPike went on a quick 9-2 run. It began with a fancy three-point play by freshman Jaylan Rigdon, who scooped the ball from under the basket to score and draw the foul.
 
Cutlip then nailed back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the Bears' lead to 25-19. The stretch only took 1:20 off the clock.
 
A layup by Worrix with 2:47 lt gave the Bears a 31-26 lead, but Truett closed the half with six of the final nine points, and when McCrary closed out a solid half with a layup, the teams went to the break with UPike in front 34-32.
 
McCrary had 15 at the half, having hit 5 for 6 from the floor.
 
Worrix led all scorers with 22 points, adding three assists, two steals and a pair of rebounds. Cutlip followed with 20 and led the Bears with nine rebounds. Junior guard LA Walker, another all-conference pick, hit 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 11 points to go with six rebounds and a game-high five assists.
 
McCrary led Truett with 21 points, making all but one of his nine shots from the floor. Senior Cooper Rubio came off the bench for 12 points, while senior Raul Arias-Ortega tossed in 11.
 
Freshman Omari Joseph, who scored four points, pulled down a dozen rebounds for Truett.