BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – For two days at the end of 2007, the Union College basketball team will play a pair of games in the Union College / Best Western Wilderness Trail Inn Classic played inside Robsion Arena.

The festivities will begin on Dec. 29 when Union will battle Miami University (Ohio) Middletown at 6 p.m. followed by a contest between Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) University and Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College at 8 p.m. On Sunday, the day starts when Miami-Middletown and Alice Lloyd play at 2 p.m. The classic concludes with a 4 p.m. match up between Union and Lincoln Memorial.

For Union, freshman Josh Hurd (Independence, Ky.) ranks third in the Appalachian Athletic Conference and 24th nationally in blocks per game. He has blocked 20 shots in 11 contests. Hurd also is the team’s best rebounder with an average of 3.8 per game.

The Bulldogs also have the fourth-best scoring defense in the conference. Opponents are only averaging 72.4 points per game. The defense is also holding their opponents to a 46.3 field goal percentage, the conference’s fifth-best mark.

Aaron Dunaway (Lexington, Ky.) leads the team with 12.9 points per game. In 12 games, he has been the team’s leading scorer five times. He has also dished out a total of 29 assists this season, second on the team.

Chris Stunson (Richmond, Ky.) has a scoring average of 9.9 points per game with 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Freshman Michael Hester (Independence, Ky.) has stolen some of the opposition’s attention with his 21 steals so far.

Union captured the Holiday Inn Tournament championship on Dec. 15 with a 76-68 win over Saint Vincent (Pa.) College. With the victory, the Bulldogs are 7-5 overall. In the team’s first four conference games, Union dropped the first two before capturing a 76-69 win over Covenant (Ga.) College on Dec. 4.

The Bulldogs already own a 86-68 victory over Lincoln Memorial which came on Dec. 24 in Harrogate, Tenn.

Lincoln Memorial enters the classic with a 3-5 record including a South Atlantic Conference loss in the Railsplitters' only conference contest. The Railsplitters are led by Terry Delaney and Beau Brown. Delaney is averaging 15.8 points per game while Brown is adding 14.5 points. Wadner Joseph is also in double-digits with 10.8 points per game.

Brown also leads the team with 24 assists and 16 steals through eight contests this season.

Ronnie Brown and Delaney both average seven rebounds per game.

Lincoln Memorial is averaging 69.6 points per game while the defense is allowing 71.8.

Alice Lloyd snapped a ten-game losing streak with an 81-69 win over Mid-Continent (Ky.) College on Dec. 15.

Rodney Mitchell has a scoring average of 15.2 to lead the team while William Dillard is adding 12.1 points per game. Dillard also leads the team with averages of 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Corey Hairston grabs 6.2 rebounds per game with 9.8 points per game as well.

Miami-Middletown has a record of 12-3. They have won eight-straight games with the last, a 79-67 decision over Wright State (Ohio) University - Lake on Dec. 19. The Thunderhawks are perfect, with a 10-0 mark, in Ohio Regional Campus College action.

The Thunderhawks are led by Britten Alexander and his double-double average. He is scoring 17.6 points and grabbing 10.6 rebounds per contest. Brad Bergman and Terry Heard are scoring 13.8 and 11.3 points per game, respectively. Greg Tillman has a team-best 39 assists in only 15 games.