LAS VEGAS – The University of Pikeville bowling teams are both seeded third in the 16-team Intercollegiate Team Championships, which are being held this week at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas.
 
The men held a lead heading into the final of 24 qualifying games on Thursday, but the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) turned in a rarity, posting a perfect 300 score to claim the top seed.
 
In the tight top third of the men's draw, UPike rolled a 168, its lowest score of the qualifying round, to slip to third behind Mount Mercy (Iowa).
 
As a result, the Bears will face 14^th-seeded Lawrence Tech (Mich.) in the opening round, scheduled for Thursday evening. A win would match them up with the winner of No. 6 Wichita State and No. 11 McKendree.
 
The teams that fail to win in Thursday's opening round fall into the contender's bracket, which will begin play on Friday morning.
 
Fourteen of the 16 teams on the men's side finished plus – averaging at least 200 – in the qualifying round. UPike finished third with an average of 214.67.
 
On the women's side, the third-seeded Bears will play No. 14 Louisiana Tech in the opening round. They share a bracket with No. 6 Maryville (Tenn.) and No. 11 Judson (Ill.).
 
Jacksonville State (Ala.), the runner-up in last week's NCAA tournament, is the top seed on the women's side, followed by North Carolina A&T. UPike was in front of Sacred Heart (Conn.) in the top four seeds.
 
Six of the 16 women's teams finished qualifying plus, including Pikeville, which averaged 209.33.
 
The winner of the UPike-Louisiana Tech matchup will meet the winner of Maryville and Judson later on Thursday evening. The losing team will play in the consolation bracket on Friday morning.