Dec. 6, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will open its 20-game Ohio Valley Conference schedule Thursday on the road against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., at the Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville, Ala.

The game will be broadcast locally on WVSU 91.1 FM and via the internet at either www.samfordsports.com or www.al.com/wvsu.

Samford (2-4) will play its first three conference matchups on the road this season and will continue its current seven-game road swing. Following Thursday's OVC-opener, the Bulldogs will travel to Southeast Missouri (Dec. 19) and Murray State (Dec. 21).

Samford currently owns the nation's 17th toughest strength of schedule and has played four difficult opponents on the road this season. The Bulldogs are currently 0-4 in road contests at No. 1 Florida, No. 15 Arizona, South Alabama and Towson.

Jacksonville State (2-4) will also open its 2006-07 conference schedule Thursday.

The Gamecocks head into the game with a 1-2 home record on the season and are coming off a key 87-85 victory on the road against VMI on Saturday. The win ended the Jacksonville State's two-game losing streak and proved to be its first win away from home this season.

After opening the 2006-07 campaign with losses at UNO, 66-54, and against Wofford, 82-80, Jacksonville State defeated Reinhardt, 95-72, Nov. 21, for its first home victory of the season.

The Gamecocks boast the services of the OVC's leading scorer in senior Courtney Bradley. A 6-foot-5 forward, Bradley is averaging 21.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per contest.

With a deep bench this season, the Gamecocks have already had 14 players score at least two points during the 2006-07 campaign. Jacksonville State heads into Thursday's contest with 12 different players averaging at least five minutes per game.

Samford has been victorious in three of its previous four matchups against Jacksonville State and holds a 47-37 all-time advantage in the series.

The Bulldogs finished the 2004-05 campaign with a 2-0 record against the Gamecocks and split the seasonal series 1-1 last year. Samford owns an 11-7 record against Jacksonville State under head coach Jimmy Tillette.

Samford is currently ranked among the top-50 teams in the nation in three statistical categories.

The Bulldogs are listed as the No. 4 team in the country in fewest turnovers per game at only 10.2 per contest. Samford is also ranked No. 47 in the nation in 3-point field goals per game (8.2) and No. 49 in fewest personal fouls per game (16.8).

Individually, the Bulldogs' Randall Gulina is one of the nation's top-100 ranked players in both points per game (20.3 ppg) and free-throw percentage (85.3).

On Nov. 28, Samford's starting five consisting of Jerry Smith, Curtis West, Gulina, Joe Ross Merritt and Travis Peterson scored all 80 of the team's points in an 80-66 victory over Ohio. The feat marked the first time in over six years that Samford had all of its points scored by the starting five.

The previous occurrence was March 4, 2000, in a 78-69 victory over UCF in the final game of the 2000 Trans-America Athletic Conference Tournament.

On Saturday, Samford again finished a game with its starting five players scoring all of its points as the Bulldogs lost at South Alabama, 59-54.

The Samford University basketball team will attempt to win its third OVC-opening contest against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the previous four seasons on Thursday as the in-state rivals square off at 7:30 p.m., in Jacksonville, Ala.