SE Kentucky News

Douglas dagger pt. 2! 3/4 court heave keeps men's basketball unbeaten

If you're facing the Union men's basketball team in a tight game at the MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort in Kingsport, Tenn., opposing teams should hope the ball doesn't find its way into the hands of Deonte Douglas in the closing seconds.

With defeat a seeming certainty after a last-second layup by Indiana Kokomo, a Douglas prayer from 3/4 court banked in at the buzzer, keeping the 19th-ranked Bulldogs unbeaten with a miracle 75-74 win in a matchup at The Show Tournament in Kingsport Saturday afternoon.

In a back-and-forth thriller that saw seven lead changes and four ties in the final 7:21, things looked very grim when, off a time out, Hunter Jackson raced the length of the floor through the Union defense for a layup with 1.5 seconds to play, putting the Cougars ahead 74-72.

But after getting as far down the floor as he could in the time available, Douglas launched a shot toward the IUK basket that hit the sweet spot on the backboard and fell through as time expired, causing him to be mobbed by ecstatic teammates near halfcourt.

Such theatrics have become common for Douglas, who had a similar moment on the same court just nine month ago, when his buzzer-beating 3-pointer lifted Union to an 85-82 win over Point in the opening round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament. Douglas finished with 16 points Saturday.

Though he did provide the biggest, his shot was not the lone highlight for the Bulldogs, who rallied back after trailing by as many as 11 in the second half.

Markelle Turner finished with 21 points and gave Union its first lead of the entire game on a 3-pointer with 7:21 remaining. Turner also put Union ahead 64-63 on a jumper with 3:41 to play, while Terrin Hamilton, who scored 19, gave the Bulldogs a 70-69 lead with a pair of free throws with 1:26 to go.

On the glass, Anton Mozga, the AAC's leading rebounder entering the day, led all players with 13 boards.

NEXT UP FOR THE BULLDOGS

Though Saturday will be a tough act to follow, the Bulldogs, who are now 8-0, return to action immediately when they host Saint Francis (Ind.) on day two of The Show at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Original source can be found here.