Arkevious Turner was on fire against Marbury last Thursday night as he propelled his Holtville squad to a 55-52 win in Class 5A Area 6 boys basketball action.
Turner was lights out from the field as he scored a team-high 18 points and also snagged 12 rebounds. A 6-foot-4 forward, Turner utilized his length and athleticism to penetrate the interior lanes leading to clutch baskets all while staying out of foul trouble.
“Ark is still at old school with his desired style of play, because he wants to bang down inside,” Holtville coach Greg Parker said. “I think he showed a lot of his grit and of course, he stayed out of foul trouble, which is always good, because we're not really deep at that position. Just the way that he handles himself every day, the way that he comes to work makes games like that possible for him.”
Turner shot the ball at a high clip, going 56% from the field and 80% from the charity stripe. Marbury’s defensive attack was primarily to try to speed up Holtville’s pace of play, but the two-man game between Turner and Elijah Headley managed to combat that. It is no coincidence Turner and Headley have such an ebb and flow style of floor chemistry as they have been playing basketball together their whole lives.
“Elijah and Ark have grown up playing the game together, so they just have such a unique feel for each other and they know how to get the other one the ball in scoring opportunities,” Parker said.
Turner has also provided more than just stellar performances on the floor. He has been a focal point for the growth and development of the Bulldogs’ program as well.
“He became a great leader in football, and I think it's just transcended into basketball,” Parker said. “Everybody's starting to kind of watch what he does, and it just has been good thing for our team, because our team knows if he plays well, we got a shot to win any game we play.”
