The University of Pikeville led 17-0 before the visiting Cumberland (Tenn.) University Phoenix scored the game's final 21 points for a 21-17 win on Saturday night at the W.C. Hambley Athletics Complex.
 
UPike's score with 9:16 left in the third quarter made it 17-0 before the Phoenix scored thanks to a long pass, a blocked punt and a short score set up by a strip sack.
 
UPike had the only score of the first period. It came when sophomore tailback Amon Williams scored from the three with 5:50 left in the quarter. That ended a 14-play, 67-yard drive. Freshman Isaac Smith booted the PAT to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.
 
For Williams, it stretched his streak of games with a touchdown to 11, which is a school record.
 
The Bears stretched the lead when Smith hit a 20-yard field goal with 7:11 left in the half to make it 10-0.
 
That was the lead taken to the half. The Phoenix had an opportunity to score at the half's end, but junior Jack Kantner's 45-yard field goal attempt had the distance but missed left.
 
UPike opened the second half with a long scoring drive that ended when quarterback Xavier Malone scored from the one, wrapping up a 10-play, 76-yard drive. Smith's kick ran the score to 17-0 with 9:16 left in the period.
 
Cumberland answered at the 4:33 mark when sophomore Jaylen Abston hit Isaiah O'Neal at the 30, and he spun free and darted to the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown. Kantner's kick made the score 17-7.
 
Before the period ended, the Phoenix drew seven points closer when Tyreke Boyd blocked a punt, which was picked up at the three by Cannon Johnson and returned for the score. Kantner made it 17-14 with 3:06 left in the period.
 
Cumberland took the lead at the 10:40 mark of the fourth quarter on a three-yard run by Jacob Comejo. The kick gave the Phoenix a 21-17 lead.
 
Malone, the grad student, was 31-of-41 for 271 yards. He hit senior Jordan Williams nine times for 85 yards. Amon Williams caught eight passes for 51 yards, while senior Brandon Newton hauled in five for 60 yards.
 
Amon Williams carried 28 times for 79 yards and the score.
 
Sophomore Najmir Bellegarde led the UPike defense with eight tackles, seven of them solos. He also had three tackles for loss.
 
Sophomore Levi Evans had seven tackles while sophomore Quincy Clark and senior Tommy Turner had six tackles apiece.
 
The Bears will go back on the road next Saturday when they face Maryville (Tenn.) University. That will be the first day game of the season, kicking off at 1 p.m.