Feb. 5, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University athletic department officially announced Monday that the basketball team's O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters game against Evansville will begin at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, in Seibert Hall.

The BracketBusters matchup between the teams was announced last Tuesday, but the start time, which had to be agreed upon by the athletic directors, was finalized Monday.

Samford (14-10, 11-4 Ohio Valley Conference) will be making its second-straight appearance in a BracketBuster game. Last season, the Bulldogs were chosen for the nationwide event and made their debut in the competition against Ohio (ESPN360).

Following a pair of key OVC wins, Samford currently owns sole possession of second place in the conference with an 11-4 league record. The Bulldogs are ranked 130th in the latest RPI ratings and are only a game-and-a-half behind first-place Austin Peay.

Samford hosts Austin Peay in a key OVC showdown this Saturday at 2 p.m.

Evansville (12-12, 5-8 Missouri Valley Conference) is ranked 116th in the latest RPI standings and sits in seventh place in the MVC.

Samford and the Purple Aces have played against three common opponents this season.

Both teams have squared off against Southeast Missouri, Tennessee-Martin and Austin Peay. Evansville defeated all three opponents, including Tennessee-Martin, 75-57, and Austin Peay, 80-75, on the road. The Purple Aces were victorious over Southeast Missouri, 65-45.

Samford has compiled a 3-1 mark against the trio this season, including a 2-0 record against Tennessee-Martin, a 1-0 mark against Southeast Missouri and 0-1 record against league-leading Austin Peay.

The Bulldogs are 0-3 in their all-time series against Evansville.

The Purple Aces won at Birmingham in the initial meeting during the 1989-90 campaign, 64-51, and then earned victories at home against the Bulldogs in each of the next two seasons, 76-49 and 74-50.

The O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters event includes 51 games over a two-day period beginning Feb. 16.

BracketBusters started in 2003 as a way to match up some of the nation's best mid-major teams late in the season when schools were vying for at-large berths in the NCAA Tournament. The event quickly expanded in 2004 to include most of the teams in each of the nation's mid-major conferences.

All 11 Ohio Valley Conference schools are playing in this year's event for the second-straight season.