Jan. 27, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will begin play in a critical two-game Southern Conference homestand Thursday at 7 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs play host to the second-place Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Pete Hanna Center (5,000).

Fans unable to attend the game in person can listen live to Samford's broadcast on WVSU 91.1 FM or via the Internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu. GameTracker and live video webstreaming will also be available at www.SamfordSports.com.

Following its matchup with Appalachian State (11-8, 5-3 SoCon), Samford (9-11, 3-5 SoCon) will continue its brief weekend homestand Saturday at 2 p.m. (CST) against the first-place Western Carolina Catamounts.

The Bulldogs enter Thursday's much-needed home game in a tie for third place in the SoCon's highly-competitive North Division. Samford recently completed an arduous three-game, six-day road trip with a 2-1 record after defeating both Elon and UNC Greensboro in conference play last week.

On Monday, the Bulldogs nearly completed their trip with a three-game sweep, but Furman was able to hang on for a 63-58 win at Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C. Samford competed against the Paladins without the leadership of Head Coach Jimmy Tillette. Tillette was recovering at UAB Hospital after suffering a seizure in Saturday's 70-67 victory at UNC Greensboro.

The Bulldogs' associate head coach Paul Kelly has assumed the head coaching duties until Tillette is cleared to return to the sideline. Tillette was released from the hospital Tuesday and will return to his coaching duties Sunday. Samford's all-time winningest coach is expected to accompany the team on next week's road trip to Charleston, S.C.

Against Furman on Monday, the Bulldogs finished the game with three players scoring in double figures. Senior Bryan Friday led the way with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, while fellow senior Trey Montgomery followed with 13 points on a 6-of-11 performance from the floor. Junior guard Josh Davis added 12 points and a team-high six rebounds.

Appalachian State heads into Thursday's matchup as the top shooting team in the conference. The Mountaineers are shooting 46.9 percent from the field and are averaging 73.7 points per contest.

Appalachian State enters the game as the second-place team in the SoCon's North Division. The Mountaineers have been victorious in four of their previous five games and own a 3-6 record on the road this season.

Buzz Peterson, Appalachian State's head coach, is in the midst of his second stint at the helm of the Mountaineers. From 1996-2000, he led Appalachian State to three SoCon North Division titles, a conference championship and a trip to the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

Peterson was then hired at Tulsa and won the NIT championship in 2001. After his lone season at Tulsa, he took the Tennessee job and coached four seasons for the Volunteers.

The Bulldogs own a 2-0 all-time record against the Mountaineers in a rivalry that began last season. The teams met twice a year ago in SoCon play and Samford earned victories in both meetings. In the first game, the Bulldogs tallied a 68-56 win at home before closing out the regular season with a hard-fought 72-63 triumph in Boone, N.C.

In what has been an anomaly for the Bulldogs this season, Samford is only shooting 31 percent from 3-point range at home in the Pete Hanna Center. Conversely, the Bulldogs are shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc on the road.

Samford is averaging seven 3-point baskets at home this season and will look to break out of its recent slump against Appalachian State's defense which is surrendering 7.4 3-pointers per game.

Appalachian State leads the conference in rebounding offense, while Samford leads the SoCon in rebounding defense. The Mountaineers are averaging a league-high 38.3 rebounds per game and also owns a conference-best +6.4 rebounding margin.

The Bulldogs are ranked among the top-five teams in the SoCon in eight statistical categories. Samford is also the top-ranked squad in the conference in the following three categories: scoring defense, rebounding defense and field-goal percentage defense. The Bulldogs are only allowing opponents to score an average of 58.3 points per game and are only allowing 31.1 rebounds per contest.

Samford is also ranked first in the SoCon in field-goal percentage defense (40.7). Additionally, the Bulldogs are ranked second in the league in field-goal percentage with a 46.2 mark from the floor.

Individually, Samford's Davis is ranked seventh in the SoCon in 3-point field goals made per game. The Bulldogs' sharpshooting guard from Lubbock, Texas, is averaging 2.5 per contest this season. Davis is also ranked 16th in the conference in scoring with an average of 11.7 points per game.

The Bulldogs are only allowing an average of 31.1 rebounds per contest and will need to keep Appalachian State off the boards in order to get the victory.

A key matchup in Thursday's game will be Samford's front court against Appalachian State's Donald Sims, the conference's leading scorer. The Bulldogs will need stellar defensive play from its guards as they square off against one of the SoCon's most explosive athletes. Sims, Appalachian State's sharpshooter from Gaffney, S.C., is averaging 19.4 points per game this season.

Samford's front court comprised of Montgomery and Davis will need to lock down Sims who earlier this season scored 44 points at Davidson. Sims is also leading the conference in free-throw percentage (94.5 percent) and 3-point field goals made per game (3.2).

Following Thursday's matchup with Appalachian State, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Saturday at 2 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs continue their brief two-game homestand against the first-place Western Carolina Catamounts. The game will be held at Samford's Pete Hanna Center (5,000).

Samford Basketball Game Notes
GameTracker - Appalachian State at Samford
Webstreamed Radio Broadcast