Jan. 3, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will begin play in its highly-anticipated 2005 Ohio Valley Conference schedule on Tuesday as the Bulldogs square off against in-state rival Jacksonville State at 7:30 p.m., at the Pete Mathews Coliseum.

Samford (5-6) kicks off OVC play on Tuesday with aspirations of snapping its three-game losing streak. The team closed out the 2004 calendar year with three tough road losses against Bradley, 79-59, IUPUI, 64-50, and Notre Dame, 56-44.

The Bulldogs' coaching staff is hoping that its recent experience playing against top-caliber teams in tough venues will carry over to Tuesday's conference-opener against Jacksonville State (4-8).

In its previous three games of the 2004-05 campaign, Samford played in front of an average of 6,333 fans, including a season-high crowd of 9,031 at Notre Dame's venerable Joyce Center. The Gamecocks have also played in front of some large venues this season and are averaging slightly over 1,200 fans per game at home.

Jacksonville State heads into Tuesday's contest in the midst of a conference-worst six-game losing streak.

After jumping out to a 4-2 record to open the season, Jacksonville State has dropped consecutive games against Wofford, 81-76, Jackson State, 64-51, Coastal Carolina, 88-78, Delaware State, 66-64, Mississippi State, 95-53, and Arkansas, 73-67. In what was one of their most impressive games of the season, the Gamecocks fell on the road against Arkansas by only six points in front of a season-high 15,924 fans at Bud Walton Arena on Dec. 29.

Jacksonville State is being led in scoring by junior guard Walker Russell, who is averaging 15.8 points per game. He has started all 12 games this season and has been to the free throw line an impressive 76 times, making 65 of his attempts for an 85.5 percentage.

The Gamecocks' freshman forward Dorien Brown was named the OVC Freshman of the Week on Monday after he averaged 13 points in three games over the Christmas Holidays against Delaware State, Mississippi State and Arkansas.

Samford currently leads the OVC in six statistical categories and is ranked among the top-three teams in an additional four.

The Bulldogs are currently ranked first in scoring defense (57.9 ppg), 3-point field goal percentage (.413), 3-point field goals made (8.18 avg/g), field goal percentage (.491), rebounding defense (31.1 avg/g) and assist/turnover ratio (1.06).

Samford also ranks second in free throw percentage (.754) and turnover margin (+1.82), and is currently ranked third in the conference in both 3-point field goal percentage defense (.344) and scoring margin (+3.3). Individual members of the Bulldog basketball team are also listed among the top-10 players in the conference.

J. Robert Merritt is currently second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.475), while sophomore point guard Jerry Smith ranks third in assists (4.09 avg/g) and holds fourth place in assist/turnover ratio (1.61). Senior forward Bryan Boerjan is the No. 8-ranked player in OVC in steals (1.64 avg/g), while Merritt is also among the top-10 players in 3-point field goals made (2.55) and scoring (15.2 ppg).

After being forced to sit out the first nine games of the 2004-05 season due to injury, Samford's 6-10 freshman Travis Peterson returned to action against IUPUI on Dec. 28 and has played in both of the Bulldogs' last two games. Peterson, a native of Glendale, Ariz., finished with a career-high five points and a rebound against Notre Dame on Dec. 30.

Jacksonville State is currently Samford's oldest active rival and the Bulldogs hold a substantial 44-36 lead in the all-time series.

Samford has won 10 of the previous 16 meetings between the teams, but are only 14-22 against the Gamecocks in Jacksonville, Ala. Last season, the teams split their annual contests with each team winning at home. The Bulldogs earned a 58-48 victory in Seibert Hall on Jan. 6, while Jacksonville State rallied for a 71-51 win in the return visit on Feb. 24.

The Bulldogs are 0-3 against Jacksonville State on the road since 2002 and have lost 13 of the previous 17 contests held in Jacksonville, Ala.

The Samford University basketball team will attempt to win its first game in the Pete Mathews Coliseum since the 2001 season on Tuesday as the Bulldogs face off against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at 7:30 p.m.