Pioneers Fall to UPIKE Despite Traylor’s 20

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Appalachian Athletic Conference leader UPIKE knocked down 12 3-pointers on its way to a 76-67 win over the Spartanburg Methodist College women's basketball team on Saturday.

Spartanburg Methodist College (4-6, 0-5 AAC) was led by a 20-point performance from Halle Traylor, who hit four 3-pointers. Destiny Middleton added 18 points, also connecting on four 3-pointers, and Krystal Johnson came off the bench to contribute 12 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

UPIKE (6-3, 6-0 AAC) was led by a double-double from Rachel Bush, who finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Jaaliyah Warren, who hit five of the team's 12 3-pointers. Hazley Matthews also came off the bench to score 19 points, hitting a pair of threes as one of four Bears to knock down multiple shots from beyond the arc.

The Bears hit five 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes on their way to a 25-18 lead. The Pioneers opened the second quarter on an 11-4 run, following back-to-back layups by Kamya Hatten and Traylor, to take a 29-25 advantage with 7:34 remaining in the half.

A layup by Matthews regained the lead for the Bears, who scored six of the final eight points of the half to take a 38-35 advantage into the locker room. Traylor knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 38 in the opening moments of the third quarter. The teams traded 3-pointers before a 13-2 run by UPIKE pushed the lead to double digits, where it remained for the rest of the contest.

Up next for SMC is a trip to CIU on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m.