Junior forward Rachel Bush had 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to lead the University of Pikeville to a 72-53 win over Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) College on Monday night.
 
The Greenup, Ky., native's monster game saw her lead the team only in assists, as sophomore guard Jaaliyah Warren tossed in 20 points and senior forward Jaidy Mejia-Andrade pulled down 15 rebounds.
 
It was a big day for Mejia-Andrade, as the Colombian learned earlier in the day she'd been named AAC Defensive Player of the Week. She kept that going with five more blocked shots on Monday night.
 
Warren wasn't only scoring; she also had six rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
 
Two UPike freshmen made their presence known as well. Anika Stehbens had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Sophie Adkins totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds.
 
For all their offensive prowess, the key to the win was the work on the defensive end. The Pioneers shot only 24.7 percent from the field and 9.5 percent – 2 for 21 – from the arc.
 
Spartanburg Methodist took what would prove to be its only lead of the game when senior guard Destiny Middleton nailed a three-pointer with 3:08 left in the first quarter to put the Pioneers up 9-8.
 
The Bears closed the period with the final nine points to take control. All the scoring came from two people, as Stehbens scored five and Bush four, as they hit all four shots taken in the run.
 
When the quarter ended, UPike was on top 17-9.
 
The Pioneers pulled within four on two occasions, the last at 23-19 on a layup by sophomore Krystal Johnson.
 
UPike then scored seven of the next nine points. Again, Bush led the way, scoring the first four, and when freshman Sophie Adkins scored inside with 16 seconds left, the edge was 30-21.
 
The lead grew to as many as 21 in the second half. That came with 2:53 left in the third quarter when Adkins nailed a three-pointer to push the edge to 48-27.
 
The Bears will be back on the floor Wednesday night in the final road game of the regular-season. They take on Union Commonwealth University in Barbourville at 5:30 p.m.
 
The regular-season will end on Saturday when they host Montreat (N.C.) College at the Appalachian Wireless Arena. That game will tip off at 2 p.m.