Dec. 2, 2004
Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -
The Samford University women's basketball team improved to 4-0 with a 70-65 win over the Birmingham-Southern Panthers Thursday night in Seibert Hall.
"Offensively, I thought we played well," Samford head coach Mike Morris said. "I thought it was a great team win against a team that is well-coached. I thought they played well and we played well. Tonight was an indicator of how tough we have become as a team. We are finding ways to win."
The 4-0 start for the Bulldogs is the best start in the history of the women's basketball program. Alex Munday led Samford with 21 points and seven rebounds. Veronica Pike had 13 points and seven rebounds.
"I thought Veronica came through with some big shots for us tonight," Morris said. "Taryn Towns handled the ball well against their pressure as a freshman. LaBrena Friend hit some key free throws down the stretch."
The teams traded baskets early, with neither team able to build a significant advantage. Samford led most of the half, but the Bulldogs' biggest lead in the half was six points. After BSC (1-4) cut the lead to one at 29-28, Samford scored the final three points of the half to take a 32-28 lead into halftime.
Samford pushed its lead to seven at 35-28 with a three-pointer by Pike to open the second half. Birmingham-Southern then went on a 12-5 run to take a 40-37 lead with 15:44 to go in the game on a three-pointer by LaWanda Young. The teams stayed close until Samford went on an 11-0 run to take a 64-53 lead with 4:33 to go on a layup by Cora Beth Smith.
Birmingham-Southern cut the lead to three at 66-63, but LaBrena Friend and Munday hit two free throws each in the last 23 seconds of the game to seal the 70-65 win.
Samford will return to action on Monday, December 6, when the Bulldogs play at Alcorn State. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off and can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samfordsports.com.
