PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Knowing the challenge ahead, Carolina University Men's Basketball faced a formidable test Saturday afternoon, traveling to Appalachian Wireless Arena to take on the University of Pikeville, the top team in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Despite a competitive opening stretch, the Bruins were unable to keep pace with the high-powered Bears, falling 91–56.

Pikeville set the tone early, using efficient shooting and defensive pressure to build a first-half lead. Carolina battled through the opening minutes, but the Bears' depth and perimeter shooting allowed them to carry a 50–29 advantage into halftime.

In the second half, Carolina continued to compete and looked for scoring opportunities in transition, but Pikeville maintained its offensive rhythm while limiting the Bruins' looks. The Bears outscored Bruins 41–27 over the final 20 minutes to secure the victory.

Devan Edwards led the Vikings in scoring with 14 points off the bench, while DJ Evans and Cooper Smith each added nine points. Tristan Kuska contributed seven points and six rebounds, and Enock Rosil pulled down six rebounds in the effort. Carolina finished the game with 25 bench points, continuing to rely on its depth throughout the contest.

Following the game, Head Coach Jake Heck emphasized the learning experience of facing one of the nation's top teams.

"We knew coming in that we were facing an elite program that executes at a very high level," Heck said. "Games like this expose areas where we have to grow, and our focus now is taking these lessons and applying them as we move forward."

Carolina moves to 3–13 on the season and will look to bounce back as conference play continues.