Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Samford women's basketball team held Auburn Montgomery to just 20 percent shooting from the floor on its way to a 62-24 win over the Warhawks Tuesday evening in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
“I thought that (the defensive effort) was the key,” Samford head coach Mike Morris said. “I thought we had a great response from how we played in our last game. I was very pleased with how our team played, in terms of how hard they played. We really didn't play that hard in our last game, so I was really pleased with the way they responded.”
 
Samford was led in the game by Hannah Dawson with 11 points and eight rebounds. Dawson made 4-of-6 shots from the floor and 3-of-4 from three-point range. Her 11 points are a season-high for the senior forward.
 
“Coach Morris has talked to us a lot about getting into the gym and shooting a lot more,” Dawson said. “Just coming in and shooting more each week has helped me build up my confidence to come in and shoot better in the games.”
 
Senior Jazmine Martin had nine points for the Bulldogs. Freshman Lydia McGee scored eight points, while junior Christy Robinson had seven points, a career-high seven rebounds and a career-high five blocks. Junior Kendall Schwantz and freshmen Keke Fletcher and Rebecca Webster added six points each in the win.
 
As a team, Samford dished out 19 assists, while committing just eight turnovers. The Bulldogs forced AUM into 20 turnovers in the game.
 
For AUM, LaKenya Drayton had eight points and eight rebounds. Marren Schwartz added four points for the Warhawks.
 
The teams traded baskets early in the game until, with Samford leading, 5-4, with 16:28 to go in the first half, Samford went on a 20-0 run to take a 25-4 lead with 6:14 left in the half after a jumper by Martin.
 
A three-pointer by AUM's Katie Williams cut the Samford lead to 25-7, but Samford scored the final five points of the half to take a 30-7 lead into halftime. The first half marked the second time in the last three games Samford has held an opponent under 10 points in the first half, as the Bulldogs limited Alabama State to just four points in the first half of last Friday's contest in the Samford Thanksgiving Classic.
 
Samford built its lead to 26 points early in the second half at 38-12 with 15:25 to go after a free throw by Taylor Reece. AUM fought back to cut the lead to 23 points at 40-17 with 13:31 left following a three-point play by Drayton.
 
Samford then went on an 8-0 run to push its lead to 31 at 48-17 with 9:40 left after a layup by Kendall Schwantz. With Samford leading, 51-20, the Bulldogs closed the game with an 11-4 run to come away with the 62-24 win.
 
With the win, Samford improves to 3-2 on the young season. AUM remains 7-0 as the game was counted as an exhibition for the NAIA school.
 
Samford will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 1, when the Bulldogs play host to Wofford in the Southern Conference opener for both teams. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start from the Pete Hanna Center.