Feb. 17, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford women's basketball team will play host to the Eastern Kentucky Lady Colonels Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Seibert Hall. A Samford win would assure the Bulldogs of a home game in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Feb. 28.

The game will be Senior Night for Samford's two seniors, Cora Beth Smith and Andrea Ward. The seniors will be honored prior to the game.

Samford enters the game with a record of 17-7 overall and 12-5 in the OVC after a 60-57 win over Morehead State Thursday night. Eastern Kentucky is currently 6-18 overall and 6-11 in conference play after a 79-77 loss at Jacksonville State Thursday night.

Samford and Eastern Kentucky will be meeting for the seventh time with EKU holding a 5-1 advantage in the series. Earlier this season, Samford defeated EKU, 71-68, in Richmond, Ky.

As a team, Samford currently leads the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense (58.3 ppg.), three-point field goal percentage (36.1%) and rebounding defense (31.9 rpg.).

Samford players rank in the top five in the OVC in several statistical categories. Senior guard Cora Beth Smith ranks second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (+1.83). Junior guard Chelsee Insell is currently fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (41.0%), while sophomore forward Alex Munday ranks fifth in the league in scoring (15.7 ppg.).

Saturday's game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. The game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samfordsports.com, or www.al.com/wvsu.