Jan. 25, 2007

Box Score

MARTIN, Tenn. - The Samford University basketball team earned its seventh-straight win against the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks on Thursday as the Bulldogs rallied for a 71-66 road victory at Skyhawk Arena. Senior Randall Gulina finished with a game-high 24 points and six rebounds.

"I thought that we played sluggishly for most of the game, but we were able to finish strong and hit our free throws down the stretch," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "Tennessee-Martin is a very well-coached team and their players were ready to play tonight. They always give us some matchup problems, but we picked up our defensive intensity in the second half and we were able to get some good stops."

With the win, Samford (12-8, 9-2 Ohio Valley Conference) extended its current winning streak to three-consecutive games and further secured its hold on second place in the conference. The Bulldogs will square off against first-place Austin Peay in a key OVC showdown at 7:30 p.m., Saturday.

Samford trailed for a lion's share of the second half before mounting a late rally against the Skyhawks.

Gulina, the Bulldogs' leading scorer, knocked down a pivotal 3-point basket with 3:22 remaining to give Samford a 57-54 advantage. A few minutes later, junior Joe Ross Merritt saved the Bulldogs from receiving a shot clock violation as he drained a critical 3-point shot from the top of the key.

Merritt's basket gave the Bulldogs a 62-56 lead.

Samford finished with four players scoring in double figures Thursday. After Gulina's game-high 24 points, both Travis Peterson and Curtis West added 13 points apiece and senior Jerry Smith tallied 10.

Smith scored all 10 of his points in the second half of play and came through with six key free throws down the stretch. Samford was 20-of-24 from the charity stripe and Smith was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

"I thought that we played with poise late in the game," Tillette said. "We were making smart decisions and we only committed nine turnovers in the game. We took quality shots and were able to get to the line. Defensively, we were solid, but I have to give them (Tennessee-Martin) credit, because they hit some really tough shots."

Tennessee-Martin (5-17, 3-9 OVC) finished with five players scoring in double figures.

Cleve Woodfork led the team with 13 points, while Zerek Knight, Spencer Harris, Gerald Robinson and Will Lewis all scored 10.

The Bulldogs trailed at the half, 29-26.

Samford jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage in the game and led by six points, 15-9, with 11:13 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Gulina and Peterson, who both finished with seven points in the opening period of play.

West scored six straight points for Samford and helped the Bulldogs to their early lead. After being fouled on a driving backdoor layup, West completed the three-point play and then connected on a 3-point field goal on the ensuing possession.

Tennessee-Martin rallied late in the first half and ended the opening period of play on a 15-8 run. The Skyhawks received seven straight points from Woodfork during the rally, and the senior from Saint Louis, Mo., led all scorers with 13 first-half points.

Spencer Harris, Tennessee-Martin's freshman guard, finished with eight points in the opening half.

The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Saturday as the Bulldogs square off against the Austin Peay Governors in a midseason OVC showdown at 7:30 p.m. The key conference contest will be held at the Dave Aaron Arena in Clarksville, Tenn.