ATHENS, Tenn. – The University of Pikeville scored the first 21 points of the game and made it stand up in a 73-67 win over Tennessee Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon.
 
It wasn't as easy as the 21-point run would seem, as the Bulldogs rallied to within a point by the half but never took the lead as the Bears won for the fifth straight game, all of them against AAC competition.
 
The Bears jumped out to a massive lead and seemed as if they were going to cruise to the win. The Bears were 9 out of 13 to start the game and held the Bulldogs scoreless for the first 8:25 of the game.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan missed its first 12 shots of the game, with four of them being three-point shots. Meanwhile, sophomore Rachel Bush scored 11 points and junior Allie Stone tossed in seven, and when Bush nailed a jumper with 2:15 left in the period, the lead was 21-0.
 
A jumper with 1:35 left in the frame by Sierra Bates got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.
 
Starting with that bucket, the Bulldogs outscored the Bears 35-15 the rest of the half, cutting the UPike lead to 36-35 at the break.
 
UPike led 50-47 after three periods and then pulled away with a 12-2 run. The stretch lasted 3:52 and saw the Bears make three of four from the field and go five of six from the line. A layup by junior Jaidy Mejia-Andrade with 4:59 left put the Bears on top 64-51.

The Bulldogs refused to give up and pulled within five, but got no closer.
 
Bush led the Bears with 24 points and her 14 rebounds gave her a double-double. Stone followed with 23 and sophomore Alexis Moore came off the bench for 11.
 
Talley Lawson paced the Bulldogs with 15 points. Anna Crowder had a double-double, scoring 10 and pulling down 13 rebounds. She also had seven assists.
 
Julia Howard also had 10 points.
 
UPike, 14-7 on the season and 13-4 in the league, will return to action on Wednesday night, hosting Union Commonwealth University at the UPike Gym at 5:30 p.m.