Wise, Va. – After a scoreless first quarter, UVa-Wise found the end zone three times in the second frame to propel it past Pikeville College, 28-13, in a Mid-South East gridiron affair on Thursday night.

The Highland Cavaliers (5-4) improved to 4-1 in the Mid-South East to set up a game for the division title on Nov. 7th when the University of the Cumberlands comes to town. Pikeville (2-5/0-3 Mid-South East) suffered its fourth-straight defeat in the series.

Quarterback Brad Robbins (Big Stone Gap, Va.) hit Aric Evans for 46 yards to the Pikeville one yardline on the first UVa-Wise drive of the second quarter. Linebacker Amondre Johnson (Roanoke, Va.) found paydirt on the next play. On the ensuing possession, the Bears quarterback Chase Ellis was picked off by Keith McBride (Hampton, Va.) and he returned the interception 58 yards to take the Cavs lead to 13-0.

Jyron Barclay extended the margin on the next home drive with an 11-yard scoring burst. Robbins found Brad Ricker (Bristol, Va.) on the two-point conversion for a 21-0 halftime tally. After a Ellis one-yard scoring plunge, Robbins hit Jason Lovett (Spotylvania, Va.) from 21 yards over the middle to ice the game at 28-7 with 6:38 left in the contest. Pikeville added a 22-yard fumble recovery with 2:47 to finish the scoring at 28-13.

Lovett tallied 183 all-purpose yards on the night. The senior slot back grabbed eight passes for 124 yards and one score and ran two times for 59 yards including a 55-yard jaunt. Barclay had his best outing of the season with 99 yards on 20 carries with one score.

Senior Matt Barbour (Naruna, Va.) grabbed just two passes for 28 yards but his second catch made him the first 200 career reception player in UVa-Wise history.

The Cavs defense limited the Bears to 115 yards of total offense on the night. McBride had a solid night with the interception return for the score along with four tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. John Mathis (Copper Hill, Va.) added eight stops, a sack and three tackles for loss. Nose guard Danny Hinkle (Inez, Ky.) chipped in eight tackles and two tackles for loss while Josh Weaver (Alexandria, Va.) had six stops, a sack and three tackles for loss.

Pikeville had two double digits tacklers with DeVaughn Whitley and Tramayel Jones having 11 and 10. Both Bears had a sack and a half and combined for five tackles for loss.

UVa-Wise will now be off for 16 days until host UCumberlands on Nov. 7th for the Mid-South East title.