Feb. 13, 2003

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Jacksonville State's Poonie Richardson scored 21 points including five three pointers and the Gamecocks were 13-16 from the free-throw line as they defeated Samford 74-63 in Atlantic Sun men's basketball action on Thursday night.

Samford (10-13, 6-6 A-Sun) placed three players in double figures. Phillip Ramelli scored 15 points and had five rebounds. Tyson Dorsey scored 14 points and Eddie Harper had 12 points off the bench for the Bulldogs that shot 46 percent for the game and 30 percent from three-point range.

Omar Bartlett scored 13 points, Scott Watson had 12 points, and Trent Eager had 10 points for Jacksonville State that improved to 15-9, 6-6 in the A-Sun.

Jacksonville State took a 36-27 lead into halftime by shooting 57 percent from the floor. Samford shot just 42 percent from the floor in the opening period and was 3-12 from three-point range. Omar Bartlett had 12 points at halftime for JSU while Ramelli had eight points for Samford.

JSU used a 12-0 run midway through the first half to take a 19-11 lead with 10:23 remaining as the Bulldogs went scoreless for five minutes. J. Robert Merritt and Anthony LoPiano each hit three-pointers to bring the Bulldogs to within five points at 24-19 with 7:21 in the half. The Gamecocks went on a 6-0 run to stretch the lead to 11 points at the 4:33 mark. Samford only had two Phillip Ramelli field goals in the last seven minutes of the half.

Dorsey hit a three pointer to bring the Bulldogs to within one point at 42-41 at the 11:25 mark as the Samford defense held JSU to just three field goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Bulldogs came up short on two opportunities down by one point before Poonie Richardson hit a three-pointer to start a 13-1 Gamecocks run that put JSU up 59-47 with 4:47 left to play. The Bulldogs pulled as close as three points on a Felton lay up at 1:25 to make the score 59-56. JSU missed two front ends of one-an- one's but got the rebound both times and made both free throws after the rebounds. JSU made 10-12 from the line in the final 1:17 to extend its lead.

Samford will return to action on Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs face Georgia State in a 4:30 p.m. game at the GSU Sports Arena.