Nov. 8, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -
The Samford University basketball team will begin competitive play in its 2009-10 season Monday at 7:30 p.m., as the Bulldogs host the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs in an exhibition game to be held at the Pete Hanna Center. The contest will be Samford's lone preseason contest of the 2009-10 campaign.
The Bulldogs are slated to begin their regular-season schedule Friday against Kent State. The matchup will be the first game of the three-day 2009 Hispanic College Fund Classic hosted by Kent State University. Samford will also square off against Wisconsin-Green Bay and UAB during the weekend-long competition.
Samford was recently picked to finish third in the North Division of the Southern Conference's preseason rankings. The Bulldogs return four starters and an additional seven lettermen from last year's squad.
In 2008-09, Samford concluded the season with a 16-16 overall record and a 9-11 mark against conference opponents. The Bulldogs finished their inaugural year in the SoCon as the third-place team in the North Division and qualified for postseason play for an unprecedented 16th-consecutive season.
At the 2009 SoCon Tournament, Samford knocked off Furman and The Citadel to advance all the way to the semifinal round of the competitive 12-team tournament. The Bulldogs ended up losing to eventual-champion Chattanooga at The McKenzie Arena in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn.
Tennessee Wesleyan heads into Monday's game with an 0-2 record this season. In their most recent matchup, the Bulldogs dropped a 103-60 decision at Chattanooga on Saturday. Freshman center Matt Harper led Tennessee Wesleyan in scoring with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.
Last year, the TWC Bulldogs finished the season with a 15-12 overall record and an 11-7 mark in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.
In last season's exhibition contests, Samford earned an 81-67 victory against Covenant College and a 69-48 win versus Tennessee Wesleyan. The Bulldogs' Bryan Friday scored a game-high 18 points against TWC last year.
The Samford University basketball team will square off against the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m., in the Pete Hanna Center. The matchup will be Samford's lone exhibition game of the 2009-10 campaign.
