KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — K.K. Simmons was at it again for the University of Pikeville men’s basketball team, hitting seven 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 30 points in the Bears’ 80-62 exhibition loss at Tennessee on Monday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Simmons became part of the national conscious after netting six threes against top-ranked Kentucky on Sunday and his continued antics in Knoxville had the Bears thinking upset up 15-6 early in the first half. But first-year Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall’s debut wasn’t spoiled as his team rallied back with 12 straight points to end the first half.
UPIKE though controlled the game for the first 11 minutes, leading by as many as nine points after a three from Simmons.
The Volunteers didn’t grab their first lead until the 9:19 mark of the first half at 19-17 on a long-range shot from Armani Moore. The triple was part of a 10-0 run that helped UT build its momentum for a furious close to the half.
UPIKE’s Kenny Manigault completed a three-point play with less than five minutes to go in the half to tie the score at 26, but Jabari McGhee finished a layup about a minute later and the Bears only scored five more points the rest of the way. Tennessee, on the other hand, went on a 12-0 run before the break to take a 42-31 lead into halftime.
The run continued in the second half as the Vols scored the first four points before a jumper from Macari Brooks finally ended it at the 18:32 mark. That 13-point margin was as close as UPIKE would get as Tennessee went on to lead by as many as 24 points with 4:24 to play.
UPIKE’s best sequence in the second half was a 5-0 run started by Colt Chapman with a reverse layup and Simmons with another three to cut the Vols’ lead to 16 at 65-49. Tennessee cut it short though with a quick 8-0 burst to end the threat.
Simmons was the only Bear to reach double figures, while Manigault, Chapman, Brooks and Christian Leach all chipped in with six points each. Mannigault and big-man reserve Michael Eneh led the Bears on the glass with five boards each, although UT outrebounded them 40-24 overall.
UPIKE cooled down after its hot start to shoot 35 percent from the field, compared to a 60-percent showing from the Volunteers who were led by Moore with 17 points and Josh Richardson with 15.
It’s back to regular-season action the next time UPIKE takes the court as it hosts Brescia at 8 p.m. ET on Friday as part of the BB&T Classic at the East Ky. Expo Center.
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