Dec. 1, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will play against the Florida State Seminoles for the first time since 1989 on Sunday, as the non-conference foes square off at 1 p.m. (CST) in the Donald L. Tucker Center (12,100).

The matchup will not be aired by the Samford Broadcast Network, but fans unable to attend in person can listen to Florida State's live broadcast for $9.95 through www.Seminoles.com.

Samford (2-3) heads into the game looking to rebound from a 70-65 overtime loss at Lipscomb on Monday. The road defeat was the Bulldogs' first of the 2007-08 season.

In the loss, Samford was led in scoring by senior Joe Ross Merritt's 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. The Bulldogs' 6-foot-4 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., tied a career-high with five 3-point baskets and leads the team with 16.8 points per contest.

Florida State (7-2) enters the contest with a four-game winning streak. The Seminoles defeated Stetson 72-59 on Friday after previously earning consecutive victories against Florida 65-51, Minnesota 75-61 and Georgia State 78-48.

Both of Florida State's losses this season have occurred in close games, and were by a combined four points. On Nov. 17-18, the Seminoles were defeated by Cleveland State 69-66 and USF 68-67 in the 2007 Glenn Wilkes Classic.

Samford and Florida State have met on the hardwood 10 times in the all-time series between the teams.

Sunday's game will be the first matchup since Florida State earned a 100-62 victory against Samford on Dec. 19, 1989. The Seminoles own a 10-0 all-time record in the series and are 6-0 against the Bulldogs at home in Tallahassee, Fla.

Samford's three seniors in Merritt, Travis Peterson and Curtis West have all started for the Bulldogs in at least one season, and have been looked upon for leadership and guidance throughout the 2007-08 campaign.

Merritt, a 6-foot-4 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., started in 10 games as a true freshman in 2004-05 and has been a staple in the Bulldogs' opening lineup ever since. He has started in 75 of the 96 games of his career, including 65 of the team's previous 68 contests.

Peterson, Samford's 6-foot-10 center from Glendale, Ariz., has started in 66 of the Bulldogs' last 68 games. He has been a key member in the team's starting lineup since his sophomore year in 2005-06, and started at center in all 32 games last season.

West, a 6-foot guard from Baton Rouge, La., earned two starts during his true freshman season in 2004-05, but didn't fully break into the Bulldogs' starting lineup until last year. As a junior, he started in 25 of the team's 31 games and averaged 30.9 minutes per contest.

It is safe to say that Samford's offensive style is unique, especially in the Ohio Valley Conference. While most teams in the conference play pressure defense and tend to run the ball up the court, the Bulldogs use patience and precision cutting on offense to get either a back-door layup or a wide open look at a 3-point shot.

With that in mind, Samford's offense is hard to prepare for and often poses problems for the other coaches to scout.

Since head coach Jimmy Tillette incorporated the Princeton offense at Samford in 1997, the Bulldogs have reeled off a 62-32 record in games played against teams that have less than three days to prepare.

Following Samford's road matchup against Florida State on Sunday, the Bulldogs will next be in action Thursday at 6:30 p.m., as they open OVC play at home versus the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The conference-opening contest will be nationally televised by ESPNU.

Samford Basketball Game Notes
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