Dec. 29, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Check out the latest installment of SamfordSports.com's monthly feature stories which highlight the Bulldogs' talented student-athletes. December's piece features senior women's basketball players Emily London and Savannah Hill and was written by Sports Information Director Joey Mullins.

Emily London and Savannah Hill

As they near the end of their college playing careers, Samford seniors Emily London and Savannah Hill have made a major impact on the women's basketball program's record book.

Entering this week's Saint Peter's College Holiday Classic, London ranks second in school history in scoring (1,367 pts.), second in three-pointers made (213), tied for second in free throws made (294), third in three-pointers attempted (456), fourth in field goals made (430), fourth in field goals attempted (869), fifth in free throws attempted (330), seventh in assists (244) and tied for seventh in games started (89).

Hill ranks second in school history in blocks (77), second in field goals made (483), third in scoring (1,257 pts.), third in field goals attempted (1,036), fifth in assists (281) and 10th in games started (88).

Despite the tremendous success they both have had as Bulldogs, neither player says they expected the kind of careers they've had since coming to Samford.

"I actually debated coming here because I didn't think I'd get to play," Hill said. "So, I definitely did not think it would go as well as it has."

"I just came in and wanted to have fun and play the game I've always loved," London said.

Hill, a forward from Elora, Tenn., came to Samford from Lincoln County High School. As a senior, she averaged 19 points per game and left school as the program's record holder in scoring in a game, single season and career, as well as for rebounding in a single season and career. Hill was named first-team All-State by the Tennessee Sports Writers and was a two-time team captain and MVP.

Hill said until late in the recruiting process, she thought she would go to a school in her home state of Tennessee.

"I actually had no idea that Samford existed until they started recruiting me," Hill said. "I was pretty sure I was going to Belmont from 10th grade on. They had been talking to me, it was close to home and I got to know them really well. But then they told me I had to choose one night, but I hadn't visited anywhere else, so then other options opened up. I still hadn't gone to Samford to visit at that time, but I just really liked it when I got here."

London, a guard from Lexington, Ky., attended Lexington Christian Academy. At LCA, London was an All-State performer in both basketball and tennis. In basketball, she was named the Most Valuable Player of the Kentucky State Championships and ranked second in the state in free-throw percentage as a senior.

London said she looked at a few other schools before choosing Samford, including some in the Ohio Valley Conference, which Samford was a member of at the time.

"I visited a bunch of OVC schools and a couple of MAC schools," London said. "There was just something about Samford. When I came on my visit, I felt like everybody on the team was really close and it was kind of like another family, like a home away from home."

Senior forward Savannah Hill.

London said her parents' willingness to travel to her games also helped make her decision easier to move to Birmingham and attend Samford.

"I had some trouble choosing because it was so far away from home and I am so close to my parents," London said. "But when my parents said they would be at every home game that kind of helped my decision."

Both players started their career off strong, playing in all 32 games during their freshman season and starting the majority of those games. London led the team in scoring, averaging 12.2 points per game and was named the OVC's Freshman of the Year. Hill led the team in rebounding, pulling down 4.6 boards per contest and ranked third in scoring, with an average of 9.8 points per game.

London said the hardest part of the transition from high school to college basketball was on the defensive end of the floor.

"The most difficult transition I had was defensively," London said. "Because in high school it wasn't like in college where every single player was basically a scorer. In one way or another, they were going to score and they tried to score. So that was something I had to deal with, from a defensive standpoint, I had to be aware that everybody could score, unlike in high school."

The next season brought a new challenge as Samford moved from the OVC into the Southern Conference. Despite facing tougher competition, both players improved as sophomores.

London started all 29 games and again led the team in scoring with an average of 13.8 points per game. She was also named to the SoCon's All-Conference team and was third in the nation in free-throw percentage, making 90.2 percent of her attempts.

Hill once again led the team in rebounding with an average of 5.4 rebounds per game. She also moved up to second on the squad in scoring, tallying 12.4 points per contest.

The Bulldogs finished that season with a record of 22-7 overall and 16-4 in SoCon play. The team reached the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament, falling to eventual champion Western Carolina, 66-53. The loss marked the fourth-straight season Samford ended its season in the semifinals of its conference tournament.

In the 2009-10 season, London and Hill led Samford to its most successful season to date. They were once again the top two scorers on the team, and Hill led the team in rebounds and assists. Both players were named to the SoCon's All-Conference team. As a team, the Bulldogs tied the program record for wins in a season and entered the SoCon Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

In the SoCon Tournament, Samford claimed wins over Elon (57-38) and Appalachian State (66-53) to reach the finals of a conference tournament for the first time in program history. In the championship game, Samford fell to top-seeded Chattanooga, 72-67, but the Bulldogs earned the program's first-ever national postseason bid when they were selected to host Ole Miss in the first round of the WNIT.

Samford made the most of its opportunity by defeating the Rebels, 66-65, with Hill hitting the game-winning shot in the final seconds of the game.

"It just felt great being the first team to actually do that," Hill said. "Because we worked so hard and for it to pay off with us beating Ole Miss, it was one of the most exciting games I've ever been a part of. I'm really glad we made it that far and hopefully this year we'll go farther."

London and Hill both said that making the finals of the SoCon Tournament last season gives the team even more motivation to win the tournament in their final season in a Samford uniform.

"Nobody likes to lose, so hopefully it's in the back of everybody's mind," London said. "We are just working hard every day in practice and hopefully we can come out with a big win and go to the Big Dance."

With 19 regular-season games, the Southern Conference Tournament and hopefully more, still ahead of them, London and Hill, along with the rest of their teammates, hope to make the 2010-11 season the best season in Samford history. With London and Hill leading the way, the Bulldogs have a great chance of making that happen.