Turner blazes net as men's basketball clubs KCU

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. - Kentucky Christian defenders continuously lost track of Markelle Turner on Tuesday night, and the Union men's basketball star was happy to punish them repeatedly for their mistakes.

Turner was a red-hot 9-of-13 from 3-point range, had 37 points and got plenty of help from the rest of the team, as Union blitzed Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Kentucky Christian 114-76 at Robsion Arena.

A matchup between the AAC's top-two scoring teams was all Union, and Turner caught fire immediately, hitting 5-of-7 triples in a 19-point first half. Despite his lights-out shooting, the Knights continued to lose him behind ball screens, and Turner continually got clean looks that often hit nothing but net.

Turner wasn't alone in his dominance though, as four Union starters scored in double figures, with all five netting at least eight points.

Reigning league Player of the Week Terrin Hamilton added 23 points, Anton Mozga had 14 and Deonte Douglas scored 12 to go along with six assists.

But where the Bulldogs most asserted their dominance was on the glass, where they held a whopping 59-27 edge. Two of the top-five rebounders in the AAC, Mozga and Hamilton did most of the damage, grabbing 14 and 11 rebounds respectively.

"Our rebounding afforded us to be in control of the game," Union Coach Kevin Burton said. "When we started connecting offensively, we were able to take even more control. But our rebounding early was a key, key component. Then of course Markelle got hot and our players did a great job of looking for him at the right times."

The evening also got a jolt of energy thanks to a drumline of Union students that played consistently throughout both the men's and women's games at Robsion Arena Tuesday night, a trend Burton hopes will continue throughout the season.

"I thought they were fantastic," he said. "It added a nice atmosphere. We need them back."

The Bulldogs, who are 5-0 and 4-0 in the AAC, look to stay hot Thursday, when they travel to face Bluefield (Va.) at 7:30 p.m.