MILLIGAN, Tenn. – Like a group of actors executing their stated roles in a Broadway show, the Milligan University men's basketball team put together a masterpiece on the hardwood inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening. The Buffs played host to the No. 16-ranked University of Pikeville Bears in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) showdown and showed that they have the pieces and togetherness to compete and win against some of the nation's best, dominating UPIKE, 78-61.
In the contest's first half, the two squads began with a back-and-forth affair over the course of the first 9:48, as the teams were tied at 18-18. Then, a fuse was lit for Milligan, as they lunged out to a 32-20 lead with a 14-2 run over 4:34 of game time. The Buffs carried a 42-31 advantage into the intermission, after shooting at a strong 16-of-32 mark from the field. Additionally, they were firing on all cylinders from downtown, making 8-of-16 from beyond the arc. What was even more impressive was the ability to shut down the conference's second-most efficient offense, holding the Bears to only 10-of-29 from the floor.
Half number two was no better for UPIKE, as the Buffaloes continued to scorch the twine with a 14-of-27 mark overall and a 3-of-6 long-range conversion rate. On the other side, Pikeville continued to shoot dismally, converting only 10 field goals in back-to-back halves. They missed on 21 shots, putting them at 10-of-31 for the period. All told, Milligan's 36-30 advantage over the last 20 minutes of the battle sealed the Bears' fate in Milligan's upset triumph.
A good mix of scoring came from across the Buffaloes' roster in the win, as Jayme Peay led the team with 15 points on an uber-efficient 6-of-8 from the field and 1-of-2 from deep. Sam Gold (5-of-8) and McCaskill Rivers (6-of-13) scored 14 each, with Elijah Bredwood supplying 12 bench points on a 5-of-8 night shooting the rock. The team shot better than 50% from the field overall (30-of-59, 50.8%), as well as from beyond the arc (11-of-22, 50%).
Finn McClure always puts his stamp on the game in several ways, and tonight, he was the leading assist man for Milligan. He passed out five helpers in the battle, while the next-highest amount was two by Peay, Handje Tamba and Luke Lentz. Peay, Rivers and Piripi Korent had the remaining three dimes.
Rivers and Tamba tied for the team lead in rebounds, snatching eight apiece. Peay grabbed seven, with Gold supplying four and Bredwood nabbing three. Korent collected the other rebound by Milligan.
A total of four thefts and six rejections were compiled by the Buffs, as Gold led the way with two steals and a block in the contest. Bredwood was responsible for two takeaways, while both Peay and Rivers denied two shots. Tamba took care of the remaining rejection, as the squad held Pikeville to only 20-of-60 (33.3%) from the field in the confidence-building victory.
Now, another big test waits on the near horizon, as Milligan heads to Columbia, S.C. to face off with the (RV) Columbia International University Rams, who currently lead the AAC standings. The Buffaloes will be looking to extend their AAC unbeaten streak to five games at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18.
