Sullivan, Bulldogs barrel over TMU, advance to AAC semis

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - After playing a pair of tight games against Truett McConnell in the regular season, the Union men's basketball team found its postseason gear to ensure Friday's playoff battle would be less dramatic.

Markelo Sullivan (28) and Markelle Turner (21) both topped 20 points and the top-seeded Bulldogs overcame early offensive and foul issues to pull away for a 75-66 win over the ninth-seeded Bears in the quarterfinal round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Thursday afternoon.

Sullivan, who also led all players with 14 rebounds, set the tone immediately, scoring a putback layup and a 3-pointer on the Bulldogs' first two possessions and eventually accounting for 13 of the team's first 15 points.

He came out on fire in the second half as well, scoring 10 points in 5:36, the last of which came on a 3-pointer that put Union ahead 52-38. That lead grew as big as 19 points and didn't drop below double digits until there was just 1:06 to play.

Turner scored 13 of his 21 in the first half, and he and Sullivan were the only Union players to make field goals in the first 18 minutes. That streak was broken when Terrin Hamilton connected on two 3-pointers in a 33-second stretch, helping Union gain a little breathing room as it took a 37-29 lead into halftime.

Hamilton also recorded a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

In a tightly officiated game that saw 52 fouls and 63 free throw attempts, the Bulldog defense made up for what was at times a shaky offensive, holding the Bears to 35 percent shooting from the floor and just 5-of-26 from 3-point range. Just five days after he burned the Bulldogs for 27 points in the regular season finale, Bears' guard Brent Kelly was held to just eight on 3-of-15 shooting Friday.

Union, which has now won 29-straight AAC Tournament games, is now just two wins away from securing a 10th-consecutive AAC championship. They will face Bryan in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday, after the fifth-seeded Lions topped fourth-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan 79-69 Thursday.

The Bulldogs were 2-0 against the Lions this season, winning 92-64 in Barbourville Nov. 30 and 80-75 on the road Jan. 19.