Jan. 28, 2004
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Bulldogs Try to Stop Slide against Eastern Illinois
Tip: 7 p.m. at Seibert Hall on the Campus of Samford University
Samford: Samford (8-9) has dropped two-straight at home for the first time since 1997. The Bulldogs are in a three-way tie for fourth place in the OVC. After not shooting well at the free throw line during non-conference play, the Bulldogs have made 80 percent of their free throws since beginning OVC play. Samford leads the OVC in conference only FT shooting hitting 85-106. Tyson Dorsey leads the league hitting 18-19 (95%) and Phillip Ramelli is third hitting 22-24 (92%) during conference play including 18 in a row. The Bulldogs currently rank fifth in the NCAA in team field goal percentage and in three-point field goal percentage. The Bulldogs are the only team in the OVC shooting over 50 percent from the floor for the season.
Eastern Illinois: The Panther have lost five straight since defeating Tennessee Tech on Jan. 8. Josh Gomes is the only Panther averaging in double figures this season at 11.9 per game. He has been EIU's leading scorer in five of the last seven games. EIU is 10th in the OVC in scoring averaging 66.4 points per game. The Panthers shot 43 percent from the floor, 32 percent from long range, and 66 percent from the free throw line
Inside Stuff: Dorsey has moved into eighth place on Samford's all-time made three pointers list. Dorsey has made 151 career 3-pointers he now trails Mario Lopez (1997-2000) by one for seventh place. It has been 29 years since the Bulldogs and Panthers last met in Basketball. The teams split a home in home series with EIU winning the first ever meeting 87-72 in Charleston on Jan. 21, 1974 and Samford winning 90-86 in Birmingham on Jan. 6, 1975.
Air: radio on WVSU-FM 91.1 and webcast on Samfordsports.com
Next: Samford concludes its longest home stand of the season as it hosts Southeast Missouri at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Samford is 3-0 all-time against the Indians but the two have not met since 1996.
