Thread Rating:
01-07-2018, 07:08 AM
PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- Late inside buckets from Da'Rell Domineck and Darrion Leslie, followed by a pair of Jordan Perry free throws to ice it, helped sixth-ranked University of Pikeville hold off upset minded Shawnee State (Ohio) 88-84 to open Mid-South Conference play on Saturday.
Pikeville improves to 16-0 overall, but nearly gave up a 20-point lead after the shots stopped falling in the second half. Twice SSU cut its deficit to a single point in the final three minutes, but UPIKE got timely baskets and made free throws to win it.
Despite being outrebounded 40-39 and hitting two less 3s in the game, Pikeville was able to make 25-30 free throws and force 19 Shawnee State turnovers to make up for it. UPIKE needed the miscues as it went from 49 percent shooting in the first half to 40 in the second.
And there's also the Darrion Leslie factor. The senior All-American scored 15 points and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds in an effort that matched the intensity of the game's final moments. Up 84-82 with a minute to play, it was Leslie that rebounded his own miss and got the tip in to go back up by four.
Again though, it was a two-point game with 13 seconds left when Bryan Rolfe knocked down a jumper for Shawnee. Out of a timeout it sent Perry to the stripe where he made both shots, then SSU (8-7, 0-1 MSC) turned the ball over on the inbounds to end it.
Perry finished with 17 points and made all seven of his freebies, while Jayvian Delacruz added 20 off the bench and Rze Culbreath tallied 16 points and four assists.
Big man E.J. Onu led Shawnee State with 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks and Rolfe and Jayllen Carter both scored 14.
UPIKE shot out of the gate to a 16-2 lead before going on to lead by as many as 20 points at 28-8 with 9:30 left in the half. It was then that SSU started to chisel away at the lead, outscoring Pikeville 27-15 the rest of the way to only be down eight at the half.
Two Perry free throws got the Bears back up by 16 with 8:35 to go, but a 22-7 Shawnee spurt over the next seven minutes got the game down to one possession.
UP NEXT
UPIKE continues conference play at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night against Cumberland (Tenn.) in the East Ky. Expo Center.
Pikeville improves to 16-0 overall, but nearly gave up a 20-point lead after the shots stopped falling in the second half. Twice SSU cut its deficit to a single point in the final three minutes, but UPIKE got timely baskets and made free throws to win it.
Despite being outrebounded 40-39 and hitting two less 3s in the game, Pikeville was able to make 25-30 free throws and force 19 Shawnee State turnovers to make up for it. UPIKE needed the miscues as it went from 49 percent shooting in the first half to 40 in the second.
And there's also the Darrion Leslie factor. The senior All-American scored 15 points and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds in an effort that matched the intensity of the game's final moments. Up 84-82 with a minute to play, it was Leslie that rebounded his own miss and got the tip in to go back up by four.
Again though, it was a two-point game with 13 seconds left when Bryan Rolfe knocked down a jumper for Shawnee. Out of a timeout it sent Perry to the stripe where he made both shots, then SSU (8-7, 0-1 MSC) turned the ball over on the inbounds to end it.
Perry finished with 17 points and made all seven of his freebies, while Jayvian Delacruz added 20 off the bench and Rze Culbreath tallied 16 points and four assists.
Big man E.J. Onu led Shawnee State with 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks and Rolfe and Jayllen Carter both scored 14.
UPIKE shot out of the gate to a 16-2 lead before going on to lead by as many as 20 points at 28-8 with 9:30 left in the half. It was then that SSU started to chisel away at the lead, outscoring Pikeville 27-15 the rest of the way to only be down eight at the half.
Two Perry free throws got the Bears back up by 16 with 8:35 to go, but a 22-7 Shawnee spurt over the next seven minutes got the game down to one possession.
UP NEXT
UPIKE continues conference play at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night against Cumberland (Tenn.) in the East Ky. Expo Center.
![[-]](https://bluegrassrivals.com/forum/images/lifestyle/collapse.png)
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
