GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Brewton-Parker’s night did not end as well as it started as the 14th-ranked University of Pikeville men’s basketball team pulled away in the second half for an 86-53 win on Thursday in the first game of the MSC/SSAC Challenge.
Basil Thompson led all scorers with 15 points, Jayvian Delacruz added 12 and Jordan Perry scored 11. Three different Bears pulled down six rebounds, helping them beat the Barons on the glass 42-31.
Brewton-Parker’s double-digit scorers were Dymichael Ross and Isaiah Hicks with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
After both teams shot less than 38 percent in the first half, UPIKE (5-0) rose to 51 percent in the second, including a 5-of-10 mark from 3. The Barons actually shot worse in the second half at 32 percent. That, combined with a 21-14 turnover advantage, led to the lopsided result.
But before the Bears could pull away, they dealt with a determined Brewton-Parker (1-5) squad that had the score tied at 22-22 with 5:09 left in the first half. It wasn’t until an Rze Culbreath 3 on the next possession that UPIKE was able to give itself some breathing room.
The 3-pointer was the start of a 15-3 run to end the half that let the Bears take a 37-25 lead into halftime.
Eleven points was as close as the Barons could get in the final 20 minutes as the Bears pulled ahead by as many as 38 on a Mason Blair 3 with 3:13 to play. In the final 15 minutes, UPIKE posted a pair of 9-0 runs to put the finishing touches on the rout.
UP NEXT
UPIKE jumps right back into action at 8 p.m. ET on Friday against Bethel (Tenn.)