Game Notes

BOWLING GREEN, OHIO – The Samford University basketball team will play its seventh game in 11 outings away from home Saturday as the Bulldogs square off against the Bowling Green Falcons at 1 p.m. (CST) in the Stroh Center (4,387).
 
The game can be heard locally on ESPN 97.3 FM The Zone.
 
Samford (2-8) heads into the contest with an 0-6 record when playing away from home this season. Already in 2012-13, the Bulldogs have played on the road against No. 2 Louisville, No. 16 Memphis, No. 19 Kentucky, Toledo, Austin Peay and Alcorn State.
 
Samford's games against Toledo and Alcorn State were held at Florida Gulf Coast University and were a part of the 2012 Atlantis on the Mainland Tournament.
 
Saturday's meeting marks the conclusion of a two-game road swing for the Bulldogs. On Tuesday, Samford played in front of 21,221 fans at Rupp Arena and dropped an 88-56 decision against the 19th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats.
 
In Tuesday's loss, the Bulldogs finished with four players scoring in double figures. Sophomore guard Raijon Kelly went 6-of-14 from the field and turned in a 2-of-5 outing from 3-point range. Samford's Clide Geffrard, Jr., registered 12 points and eight rebounds, while Tim Williams and Connor Miller both scored 11 points apiece.
 
Williams, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-8 true freshman forward from Chicago, Ill., earned his 10^th straight double-digit scoring performance and added seven rebounds and two blocks against Kentucky's Nerlens Noel and 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein.
 
As a team, Kentucky shot 55.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Samford concluded Tuesday's game shooting 39.6 percent from the floor, but a sizzling 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.
 
The Bulldogs' Miller drained a trio of 3-pointers against the Wildcats, while Kelly and Geffrard, Jr., knocked down two apiece.
 
Bowling Green (4-4) enters Saturday's game having been victorious in three of its previous four outings. Since Nov. 20, the Falcons have defeated UAH, 68-54, Detroit, 70-65, and Wright State, 54-41, on Monday.
 
Bowling Green is being led in scoring this season by seniors Jordon Crawford and A'uston Calhoun. Both of the aforementioned Falcons are averaging 16.6 points per game and are combining to score 53 percent of Bowling Green's points this season. The Falcons' next highest scorers are Richaun Holmes and Chauncey Orr with an average of 5.3 points per game this year.
 
The Bulldogs will face Bowling Green for the first time in school history Saturday. Bowling Green State University was founded in 1910 and has an enrollment of 17,234. The university is housed in Bowling Green, Ohio, which is located in the northwest corner of the state. The Falcons compete athletically in the Mid-American Conference.
 
Samford's Williams and Kelly are both ranked in the Southern Conference's top 15 in scoring this season. Williams enters the game as the seventh-ranked scorer in the conference with a 15.1 points per contest average, while Kelly is listed at No. 14 in the league with a 13.5 points per game scoring average.
 
The Bulldogs' Williams, who is only a true freshman this season, is also highly ranked in the SoCon's rebounds standings. Williams heads into this week as the No. 2 rebounder in the conference with an average of 8.3 per game. He is also the only freshman to be ranked among the top 15 in the league's rebounding list.
 
Kelly, Samford's 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from St. Paul, Minn., is ranked 10th in the conference in assists with 3.2 per game. He is also ranked eighth in the SoCon with an average of two 3-point baskets per outing.
 
As a senior at Lake Wales High School in Florida, Samford's Russell Wilson was named Florida's 5A Player of the Year and led LWHS to the 5A state championship title. He averaged 13 points, six rebounds, seven assists and 3.5 steals per game at Lake Wales High School and helped guide his squad to a 30-4 overall record and a No. 2 ranking in Florida.
 
Throughout the state tournament, Martin was dubbed “The Sheriff” because he consistently locked up the opponent's top offensive player.
 
A key mantra in Samford head coach Bennie Seltzer's philosophy is Intensity. The Bulldogs' first-year head coach always played with Intensity throughout his illustrious playing career at Washington State, and he brings that same mindset to Samford University and his Bulldog players.
 
This season, Samford's practice shorts have INTENSITY prominently featured on the backside, because Seltzer wants his players to always be reminded about what it takes to win games.
 
Following Saturday's contest at Bowling Green, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs return home to Birmingham, Ala., for a non-conference showdown against the Sam Houston State Bearkats to be held in the Pete Hanna Center.

Game Notes