PIKEVILLE, Ky. – K.K. Simmons buried eight 3-pointers for the third time this season to finish with 43 points and lead the third-ranked University of Pikeville men’s basketball team past Life (Ga.) 107-85 on Saturday in the East Ky. Expo Center.
Simmons splashed five of his threes in the first half, helping the Bears take a commanding 43-28 lead into halftime. Life picked up the pace in the second half, outscoring UPIKE 62-59, but the damage had already been done.
It was the best shooting performance by UPIKE (20-1, 7-1 MSC) this season, hitting at 61.4 percent from the field, including hitting 23 of 34 shots in the second half alone. Simmons’ stat line was impressive, shooting 15 of 21 from the field, 8 of 12 from three and 5 of 6 from the stripe.
Both teams coughed up 23 turnovers, but UPIKE distributed better at 19-11 in assists. The Bears led the battle of the boards 43-38, but came up short on the offensive glass 18-11. Life, somehow, was still outscored in second-chance points 15-13.
The Running Eagles (9-9, 3-5 MSC) made up some ground from the free-throw line, hitting 18 of 25, compared to 13 of 21 for the Bears.
Juwan Burden led five from Life in double figures with 16 points, while Allen Dantzler added 15 points and nine rebounds.
Kenny Manigault backed up Simmons with his second straight double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds with four assists, three steals and two blocks. Jackson Hussey added 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Macari Brooks finished with 17 points.
The score was tied twice early at 3-3 and 5-5, but Life never gained the lead. UPIKE went up by 12 at 21-9 after a 9-0 run and eventually led by as many as 25 points in the half on a three by Simmons at the buzzer.
After falling behind 73-46 eight minutes into the second half on a jumper by Hussey, the Running Eagles outscored the Bears 34-22 over the next eight minutes to get as close as 15.
UPIKE answered with a 12-2 run to go back up by 25 before Burden hit a three for the last points of the game.
The Bears are off until 9 p.m. ET on Thursday at Cumberland in Lebanon, Tenn. UPIKE is currently in sole possession of first place in the Mid-South Conference standings after top-ranked Campbellsville lost 63-61 at Shawnee State (Ohio) on Saturday.
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