WALESKA, Ga. – The University of Pikeville secured a share of the regular-season title and with it the tiebreaker on Wednesday night. On Saturday, it grabbed the AAC championship all on their own with a 72-61 win over Reinhardt University.
 
UPike is now 22-3 on the season and 15-1 in the AAC. Its lead over second-place Johnson us four games.
 
Reinhardt is 7-17 overall, 6-11 in the league.
 
Senior Bradley Bunch scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists to pace the Bears to the win. In doing so, he moved within six points of the Top 10 on the school's all-time scoring list.
 
Senior LA Walker followed with 18 points and a career-high 11 rebounds as he recorded his first career double-double. The Columbus, Ohio, product was 8 for 10 from the field in the win.
 
Sophomore Rylee Samons came off the bench to blister the nets with four three-point baskets in five shots to hit double figures with 12. It was the third time in four games he's reached double digits in the scoring column.
 
UPike finished the game hitting 54.9 percent from the field. After hitting 52 percent in the first half, it shot even better in the second 20 minutes, hitting 15 for 26 for 57.7 percent.
 
Of those, the Bears were 10 of 21 (47.6 percent) from outside. The nation's leading free throw shooting team, UPike hit 6 of 8 from the stripe.
 
Senior forward Tee Williams was the only Eagle to reach double figures, tossing in 16 while pulling down nine rebounds. Ten different Eagles scored in the game.
 
UPike will hustle home and suit up again on Monday night, hosting Spartanburg Methodist University. The game will be the second of the night at the UPike Gym and is scheduled to tip at 7:30 p.m.