Feb. 9, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In its biggest home game to date this season, the Samford University basketball team will square off against the first-place Austin Peay Governors at 2 p.m., Saturday, in Seibert Hall. The Ohio Valley Conference matchup features the top two teams in the league's standings.

Fans unable to attend the OVC contest in person can listen to the game on the radio at WVSU 91.1 FM and via the internet at www.al.com/wvsu.

Samford (14-10, 11-4 OVC) heads into Saturday's game looking to keep its regular-season championship hopes alive. The Bulldogs currently trail Austin Peay (16-7, 13-2 OVC) by two games with five conference contests remaining this season.

To close out its OVC schedule, Samford will face Austin Peay, Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois at home, and will also play road contests at Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. The Bulldogs own an 8-1 record in Seibert Hall this season and are 5-3 on the road against conference opponents.

Austin Peay will also close out its OVC schedule with three home games and a pair of road contests.

Following the Governors' matchup with Samford on Saturday, Austin Peay will finish its OVC slate with home games against Tennessee State, Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. The Governors' final road contest of the 2006-07 conference season will be at Tennessee Tech at 6 p.m., on Feb. 20, on ESPNU.

Last week, Samford completed an arduous 10-day OVC stretch with a pair of key conference victories against both Tennessee State, 70-60, and Eastern Illinois, 53-48.

The Bulldogs played five OVC games in 10 days and completed the period with a 3-2 record. Samford has had a much-needed week off from game action this week and is currently the second-place team in the OVC.

Austin Peay enters the contest as the first-place team in the conference. The Governors currently hold a two-game advantage over Samford and lead the OVC with a 6-2 conference road record.

After having its nationally-ranked 11-game winning streak snapped at Murray State on Feb. 1, 77-68, Austin Peay has earned consecutive victories over Tennessee State, 62-53, and Eastern Illinois, 98-71.

Austin Peay leads the OVC in scoring margin (+3.3), 3-point field-goal percentage (36.5), steals (8.4) and turnover margin (+2.4). The Governors' Fernandez Lockett, a native of Madison, Ala., is the OVC's leader in defensive rebounds per game (5.6).

Samford currently trails in its all-time series against Austin Peay, 5-11, but holds a 4-4 record versus the Governors at home in Seibert Hall.

Austin Peay has won four of the previous five games between the teams, with the Bulldogs' most recent victory occurring in Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 28, 2006. Earlier this year, Samford lost on the road against Austin Peay, 66-48.

Samford's Randall Gulina is the leading scorer in the conference with an average of 18.3 points per contest. A native of Baton Rouge, La., Gulina has scored in double figures in 23 of the team's 24 games this year, including a season-high 38-point outing against Tennessee Temple, Nov. 14.

The Bulldogs have made at least one 3-point field goal in 463-consecutive games.

The last game in which Samford did not make a 3-point basket was on Jan. 19, 1991, against Texas-San Antonio. The Bulldogs have also made at least two 3-pointers in 432-straight contests dating back to Feb. 8, 1992, when Samford finished 1-of-6 from beyond the arc against Mercer.

UNLV is the national leader in consecutive games with a 3-point field goal as the Running Rebels have made a 3-point basket in 656-straight games dating back to the 1986-87 season.

Vanderbilt (653) and Kentucky (635) are the only other two schools that have made at least one 3-point basket since the rule was adopted prior to the 1986 campaign.

Following its pivotal home contest against Austin Peay on Saturday, Samford will begin its final OVC road trip of the 2006-07 campaign Tuesday against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The teams will square off at 6 p.m., in Richmond, Ky., before the Bulldogs travel to Morehead State for a Thursday meeting with the Eagles.