Jan. 24, 2004

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - J. Robert Merritt scored a career-high 22 points and Phillip Ramelli matched his career-high with 23 points but it was not enough as Eastern Kentucky pulled out a 95-86 double overtime victory over Samford Saturday afternoon.

Samford (8-9, 3-3 OVC) battled back from a 10-point second half deficit to tie the game on a pair of Merritt free throws with 12 seconds remaining in regulation. Ramelli scored all 12 Samford points in the first overtime including a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining. He was a perfect 13 of 13 from the free throw line to match his career-high set against Memphis on Dec. 22.

Matt Witt turned the game in Eastern Kentucky's (8-9, 3-3 OVC) favor with five straight points off of two steals in the second overtime. Witt finished with a game-high 24 points. He added nine assists and hit the biggest shot of the game as Samford climbed back to within 86-83 Witt's three-pointer with 2:21 left pushed the Colonel lead back to six points.

Once against the Bulldogs pulled to within three points at 89-86 on a three-pointer by Jerry Smith with 2:01 to play but that would be as close as Samford would get. EKU hit all six of its free throws in the final 1:41 to claim the victory. EKU was 7 for 8 from the floor and 14 of 17 from the line in the two overtimes.

"You have to give EKU a lot of credit," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "They shot well and Witt made some big three's. I thought we ran our offensive very well. I'll take 86 points and 52 percent from the floor. We just did not do the job defensively and they made some tough shots. I think we are a better team than we were last Thursday but now we have to refocus and get ready for next week."

Phillip Ramelli went 13 for 13 from the line and had 23 points against EKU

It was an uphill battle all day for the Bulldogs who were playing from behind the entire game. Samford trailed 4-0 before hitting its first basket at the 16:36 mark of the first half. The Bulldogs only lead of the day came after a Merritt three-pointer gave SU a 10-8 lead with 13:05 to play. Benn Rushing who had 21 points hit a three-pointer to put EKU back on top.

Eastern Kentucky built as much as an 11 point first half lead 26-15 with 7:54 remaining but the Bulldogs pulled to within a point at 37-36 on a Tyson Dorsey three-pointer with 10 seconds to play in the half. Jon Bentley ended the half with a lay-up, two of his 17 points with three seconds in the half to give EKU a 39-36 halftime lead.

Bentley was 8 of 9 from the floor and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Michael Haney added 23 points for the Colonels who shot 59 percent from the floor on the afternoon, 45 percent from three-point range, and were 20-26 from the free throw line. Samford was 52 percent from the floor, 44 percent from long range, and 22-24 from the charity stripe.

Eddie Harper finished with 12 points, Dorsey had 10 points and a career-high seven rebounds, and Josh Hare had 10 points in the game.

Samford has lost back-to-back home games for the first time since 1997 and it was the Bulldogs first overtime home loss since Nov. 25, 2001.

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 29, when they host Eastern Illinois in a 7 p.m. tip-off at Seibert Hall.