PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Shawnee State won the battle of the boards 55-36, including a 19-12 advantage on the offensive glass, to lift itself over the University of Pikeville women’s basketball team 71-62 on Thursday in the Mid-South Conference opener at the East Ky. Expo Center.
Jamie Castle poured in 17 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists for UPIKE (3-1, 0-1 MSC), while Shekinah Gibson added 12 points and Khalilah Quigley scored 11. Kandice Porter had eight points and six blocks, but SSU just got too many chances, posting a 29-6 lead in second-chance points.
Tabby McKinney had a game-high 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead Shawnee State (5-0, 1-0 MSC) which got four players in double figures to counteract giving up 21 turnovers.
Neither team shot well from the field with SSU posting a slightly better mark at 39.1 to 36.6 percent. Shawnee State also hit three more 3-pointers and four more free throws than UPIKE to help prove the difference.
UPIKE controlled the first 10 minutes of the game, taking a six-point lead on a long jumper from Castle. But SSU outscores the Bears 13-7 over the next five minutes to tie the score at 25 and went on to post a 33-28 lead at the break.
Pikeville roared back over the first four minutes of the second half, outscoring SSU 10-4 to grab a one-point lead. A minute later Ashley McMurtrey buried a jumper to put Shawnee State back up by three which was part of a 10-0 run that put the game in SSU’s favor for good.
After falling behind by as many as 11 points with 8:31 to go, Pikeville trimmed the deficit to four with less than three minutes left, but Shawnee State went right back up by double figures after a three by McMurtrey and solid free-throw shooting down the stretch.
UPIKE is right back into MSC action as it hosts No. 17 Georgetown at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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