Dec. 7, 2002

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - J. Robert Merritt made five three pointers and scored a career-high 20 points and the Bulldogs went 16-17 from the free throw line in the final 3:14 to claim third place in the Pizza Hut Classic with a 64-54 victory over Florida International Saturday night.

Merritt converted on 5-8 from long range and was 5-6 from the free throw line. Phillip Ramelli scored 13 points before fouling out with 46 seconds to play and Jon Mills scored 11 points to help Samford improve to 4-2 on the season.

After only shooting 30 percent in the first half, Samford shot 46 percent from the floor in the second half but it was the Bulldogs free throw shooting that sealed the victory. Samford went 23-25 (92 percent) from the foul line in the game.

Florida International (4-3) dropped its third straight shooting 32 percent from the floor and 29 percent from long range. Junior Matias led the Golden Panthers with 17 points. Eulis Baez scored 12 points and Al Harris added 11 points.

The Bulldogs opened the game on a 12-2 run with help of three FIU turnovers. Mills and Merritt hit three-pointers and Mills added a back door lay up as he scored five of the Bulldogs first 10 points. The Bulldogs went cold at the end of the first half as FIU went on a 12-5 run to pull to within 17-14 with 3:22 remaining in the half. Samford went 9:50 without a field goal until Merritt hit a three-pointer with 1:03 left in the half to give Samford its halftime lead of 20-14. The Bulldogs were able to maintain the lead because FIU didn't score a field goal in the final 5:26 of the half. Both shot poorly in the opening period as Samford shot 29 percent and FIU shot 17 percent in the first half.

Samford started the second half with a 5-0 run. Merritt hit his third of five three pointers of the night and Ramelli made a lay up to put the Bulldogs up 25-14. FIU scored its first basket of the second period at 16:38 when Carlos Morban scored to start a 7-0 run which brought FIU to within 25-22. That is as close as FIU would come as Merritt continued his hot shooting and Ramelli added a pair of dunks to help Samford build its largest lead at 50-38 with 3:14 remaining. FIU tried to make a late run but the Bulldogs free throw shooting never allowed the Panthers to threaten.

Samford will take a week off for finals before returning to action next Saturday, Dec. 14, at Valparaiso.