Jan. 3, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will resume play in its 2009-10 Southern Conference schedule Monday at 6 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs square off against the Davidson Wildcats in Belk Arena (5,223).

Samford (6-7, 1-1 SoCon) heads into the key matchup with a full head of steam after earning its third-consecutive victory last week against Chicago State. In the lopsided 63-46 win, the Bulldogs improved to 5-1 at home this season and finished with three players scoring in double figures.

Samford's Josh Davis led the way with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, while Bryan Friday and Trey Montgomery followed with 15 and 10 points, respectively. Additionally, Montgomery registered five rebounds and five assists.

Davidson (6-8, 1-1 SoCon) also enters Monday's game riding the positive momentum of a three-game winning streak. Since falling short against Gonzaga on Dec. 12, the Wildcats have compiled an impressive 4-1 record, including a 3-0 mark since Dec. 20. During its recent winning streak, Davidson has tallied consecutive victories against Hofstra 61-52, Penn 79-50 and UMass 63-61.

The Wildcats own a 4-1 record at home this season and have not been defeated in Belk Arena since a hard-fought 75-65 loss to Rhode Island on Nov. 28. Davidson's leading scorer this season is Jake Cohen with 14.2 points per game.

The Bulldogs will square off against Davidson for only the fifth time in school history Monday. The teams renewed their rivalry last season with a pair of SoCon matchups. In the first game held at Davidson, the Wildcats earned a 76-55 home win. Davidson also escaped with a 55-52 victory at the Pete Hanna Center on Jan. 31, 2009.

The Bulldogs have never defeated Davidson head coach Bob McKillop and are 0-4 against the Wildcats' legendary coach. McKillop is in the midst of his 21st season at Davidson and owns a 373-241 all-time record. Samford has lost games against Davidson in 1992, 1993 and twice last year.

Samford is the second-ranked team in the nation in fewest personal fouls per game. The Bulldogs are only committing an average of 12.8 fouls per contest and have only allowed the opposition to shoot a total of 150 free throws. Samford is also ranked among the top-20 teams in the nation in scoring defense. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 17 in the category and are only allowing opponents to score an average of 57 points per game.

The Bulldogs are ranked among the top-five teams in the SoCon in nine statistical categories. Samford is the top-ranked squad in the conference in both scoring defense and rebounding defense. The Bulldogs are only allowing opponents to score at an average of 57 points per game and are only allowing 31.4 rebounds per contest.

The Bulldogs are also ranked second in the SoCon in both field-goal percentage (45.9) and field-goal percentage defense (40.8). Additionally, Samford is ranked third in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (31.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.1). The Bulldogs are also ranked fourth in the conference in assists. Samford is averaging a solid total of 15.1 assists per game.

Individually, the Bulldogs' Davis is ranked third in the SoCon in 3-point field goals made per game. Samford's sharpshooting guard from Lubbock, Texas, is averaging 2.9 per game.

Samford and Davidson are two of the top 3-point shooting teams in the SoCon. The Wildcats enter Monday's game ranked first in the league with an average of 9.6 3-pointers per contest, while the Bulldogs are tied for second with 8.3 3-point field goals per game.

In only its second season as a member of the SoCon, the Samford basketball team was predicted to finish third in the conference's North Division, as the league office unveiled its annual preseason vote taken by the league's 12 head coaches on Nov. 5.

College of Charleston and Western Carolina were tabbed as the favorites to capture the SoCon's divisional titles in 2009-10. Appalachian State earned the remaining two first-place votes in the North Division and finished with 55 points. Samford (44) was chosen third in the North's preseason rankings while last season's tournament champion, Chattanooga (39), was slotted fourth. Elon and UNC Greensboro were both tied for fifth place with 22 points apiece.

In their most recent road outing, the Bulldogs rallied for a 58-56 victory at Eastern Michigan. The win was Samford's first on the road this season. The Bulldogs head into Monday's game with a 1-4 record in road games, while Davidson is 4-1 when playing at home.

Samford senior forward Bryan Friday will be making the 102nd start of his collegiate career Monday, including his 50th in a row. The last time he wasn't included in the starting lineup was a matchup at Morehead State on Feb. 14, 2008.

Following Monday's SoCon matchup at Davidson, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Friday at 7 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs play host to the Tennessee Temple Crusaders at the Pete Hanna Center. The matchup will be Samford's final non-conference game of the 2009-10 regular season.

Samford Basketball Game Notes
Live Stats - Samford at Davidson
Webstreamed Radio Broadcast