Wildcats Look to Continue Winning Streak with Road Games
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The Bethel Wildcats will take their three game winning streak on the this week traveling to Pikeville Thursday and Shawnee State on Saturday.
Tip-off Thursday in Pikeville is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CST.
Game Coverage:
Watch:
UPIKE Sports Network - UPIKE Athletics (upikebears.com)
Stats:
https://upikebears.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Bethel enters the game at 11-7 overall and 7-6 in the MSC. The Cats are coming off a 92-83 win over Lindsey Wilson.
The Bears are 11-8 and 7-6. Pikeville is 7-2 at home on the season. UPIKE is coming off a 73-64 road loss at Cumberlands.
The two teams met in McKenzie back in mid-November. The Cats trailed 42-31 at the half. The difference came down to shooting as the Bears shot 53 percent while Bethel shot 40 percent in the first twenty minutes. Despite outscoring the visitors from the Commonwealth 37-33 in the second half, the Bears prevailed 75-68. Pikeville outscored the Cats 12- 7 in the closing minutes of the game.
Pikeville had a 10-4 margin in made three-pointers. The Bears shot 50 percent in the game. Bethel finished 26-of-58 at 44 percent.
Bethel had a 25-9 margin in bench points.
Korbin Spencer led UPIKE with 17 points.
Bethel's Querrion Gadson had a game high 18 points and a team high six rebounds. Keyshawn Kennedy followed with 14 points.
It will be the fifth meeting between the two programs with UPIKE holding a 3-1 advantage in the series.
The Wildcats average 74.8 and yield 74.3 points per game. The Cats shoot 47 percent from the floor. They average 30 percent from behind the arc. Bethel shoots 74 percent from the free throw line. The Wildcats outrebound their opponents 36-29 per outing. Bethel's opponents are shooting 46 percent from the field and 34 percent in three-point attempts.
Gadson leads the Cats in scoring at 11.6 points per game. Tyler Neely averages 9.9 per contest.
Jeff Britt is in his 23rd year at Bethel and is 504-354 in his career. He has 355 wins at Bethel. Britt ranks 10th for most wins among active NAIA Division I men's basketball coaches.
The Bears average 74.2 points per game. They yield 69.7 per outing. UPIKE shoots 45 percent from the floor. Their opponents average 45 percent from the field. The Bears shoot 26 percent from behind the arc while opponents are averaging 27 percent on attempts from long distance. Pikeville outrebounds their foes 32-31 per game. Teddy Parham Jr. leads UPIKE in scoring at 18.2 points per game.
Tigh Compton is in his third season as head men's basketball coach for the University of Pikeville He is 40-33 with the Bears. Compton finished his first season with a 12-1