Dec. 15, 2007

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team received a career performance from true freshman Josh Davis on Saturday as the Bulldogs' sharpshooter scored a personal-best 23 points in an 89-61 home win against the Reinhardt Eagles.

The non-conference game was held in Seibert Hall due to the University's inaugural commencement ceremony in the brand-new Pete Hanna Center.

"When we signed Josh (Davis), we knew that he could score," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "He's a very talented player. He can score from the arc, he can get fouled and he can drive the ball by you. All along, we've been trying to get him minutes and I wasn't surprised about his performance, because that's why we signed him."

With the win, Samford (4-4) extended its home winning streak to three-consecutive games.

The Bulldogs have played stingy defense at home this season and are only allowing the opposition to score at an average of 56 points per game. In Samford's last three home victories, the Bulldogs only allowed Brewton-Parker to score 30, Jacksonville state to score 34 and Reinhardt (2-12) to score 61.

"This game came at a good time for us," Tillette said. "We just had nine days off for exams and I thought that we were a little dead-legged in the first half defensively, but we eventually got our blood flowing and played with a lot more certainty on offense. I know that the pressure was not what we'll face next week, but we played better."

Samford will continue its four-game homestand Tuesday against Southeast Missouri. The Ohio Valley Conference showdown will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Pete Hanna Center.

With the defeat, Reinhardt (2-12) had its losing streak extended to four-straight games. The Eagles have dropped six of their previous seven games and have not been victorious since a 115-54 win against Champion Baptist on Dec. 1.

Reinhardt finished with three players scoring in double figures and was led by Victor Stowes' 14 points and five assists. The Eagles' senior guard from Lithonia, Ga., was 4-of-11 from the field, but committed a game-high six turnovers. Kyle Bishop added 11 points and Walter Rush finished with 10.

Samford's Davis scored 13 of his game-high 23 points in the first half as the Bulldogs took a 49-32 lead into the intermission. Senior Joe Ross Merritt tallied 12 points in the opening period and finished the contest with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor.

The Bulldogs' 6-foot-10 center Travis Peterson turned in the best all-around performance of the game Saturday. Samford's native of Glendale, Ariz., finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four blocks in only 23 minutes of playing time.

True freshman Josh Bedwell scored 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field. All five of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc. He also added three rebounds, two steals and an assist.

Early in the first half, Samford led 9-7 when Bedwell and Merritt knocked down back-to-back 3-point baskets to extend the lead to 15-7.

Reinhardt later fought back and trimmed the Bulldogs' advantage to 17-16 with 12:25 remaining in the half. Then, following a timeout, Samford's Davis entered the game and scored 13 of the team's next 15 points en route to a 32-25 lead.

The Bulldogs continued to play with the momentum in the second half and scored the first 12 points of the final period to take a commanding 61-34 lead. Samford eventually extended its lead to 71-38 before clearing its bench for the final 9:45 of the game.

"It's looking like we're starting to get comfortable in what we're doing offensively," said Tillette. "We were able to play a lot of younger guys today and every minute of experience that they get is crucial. The one thing that concerns me about today is that we had too many turnovers. We need to take care of the ball and get tighter, because we're going to be pressured next week."

Both teams committed 14 turnovers Saturday, but Samford outshot Reinhardt 56 percent to 36.2 percent from the field. The Bulldogs also knocked down 10 three-point shots and finished with a 38.5 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Tuesday as the Bulldogs resume Ohio Valley Conference play against the Southeast Missouri Redhawks at 7:30 p.m. The game will be played in Samford's brand-new Pete Hanna Center.