Jan. 5, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The first-place Samford University basketball team will conclude its brief three-game homestand at 2 p.m., Saturday as the Bulldogs welcome their in-state rival Jacksonville State Gamecocks to Seibert Hall for a pivotal Ohio Valley Conference matchup.

Saturday's game can be heard locally on WVSU 91.1 FM and via the internet at both www.samfordsports.com and www.al.com/wvsu.

Samford (8-6, 5-0 OVC) heads into the contest riding the positive momentum of a two-game winning streak and a six-game home winning streak. The Bulldogs have been victorious in Seibert Hall in their previous six games following a hard-fought 75-70 loss to Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 14, 2006.

As the only remaining undefeated team in the OVC, Samford has reeled off consecutive conference victories against Jacksonville State, 54-53, Southeast Missouri, 65-64, Murray State, 55-44, Tennessee Tech, 68-65, and Tennessee-Martin, 55-41.

The Bulldogs' first three victories in league play occurred on the road.

Jacksonville State (3-11, 1-4 OVC) enters Saturday's matchup looking to end its current five-game losing streak.

The Gamecocks are the ninth-place team in the conference and own a 1-1 record against OVC opponents on the road this season. Since earning a 70-67 victory at Southeast Missouri on Dec. 17, Jacksonville State has been defeated by Murray State, 72-71, UW-Green Bay, 90-67, Bowling Green, 77-69, Michigan Tech, 76-58, and Austin Peay, 78-63.

In the Gamecocks' 15-point loss at home against Austin Peay on Thursday, Dorien Brown and Will Ginn both scored 20 points apiece, but Jacksonville State committed 21 turnovers and fell to 0-3 at home versus OVC opponents during the 2006-07.

Earlier this season, Samford defeated Jacksonville State, 54-53, on Dec. 7, to increase its all-time series lead to 48-37.

The Bulldogs have won four of the previous five meetings between the teams, but dropped a 62-61 decision in the last matchup held in Seibert Hall on Dec. 8, 2005. Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette currently owns a 12-7 record against Jacksonville State.

Since Tillette took control of the Samford basketball program in 1997, the Bulldogs have accumulated a phenomenal 88-24 overall record while playing in Seibert Hall.

Samford currently owns a 157-119 all-time record under Tillette with 88 of his 157 victories coming at home.

Last year, in the Bulldogs' third season as a member of the OVC, Samford posted a 7-3 mark at home in Seibert Hall. The Bulldogs' all-time record on the main floor of Seibert Hall is 348-167 for a .675 winning percentage.

Since joining the OVC in 2003, Samford has compiled an impressive 22-7 record in January. So far this season, the Bulldogs are 2-0 in January and will play a predominant portion of their conference games this month.

Samford was 8-2 in January last season, 6-2 in 2005 and 6-3 during the 2004 campaign.

In their 14 games of 2006-07, the Bulldogs' senior guards, Randall Gulina and Jerry Smith, have combined to score exactly half of Samford's total points this season. The pair has recorded 423 of the team's 846 points.

Following Saturday's in-state matchup against Jacksonville State, Samford will begin a quick two-game road swing Thursday at Tennessee State in Nashville, Tenn. The contest between the top-two ranked preseason teams in the OVC is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.