Feb. 25, 2012

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford women's basketball team dropped a 57-53 Southern Conference contest to league-leading Appalachian State Saturday afternoon in the Pete Hanna Center.

"Appalachian State is a good basketball team, there is no doubt about it," Samford head coach Mike Morris said. "I thought we played hard enough and defended well enough to win the game. For the most part we took care of the ball, but we just didn't quite make enough shots down the stretch."

With the loss, Samford drops to 17-11 overall and 12-7 in Southern Conference play. Samford is now guaranteed to be the No. 4 seed in next week's Southern Conference Tournament. Appalachian State improves to 23-4 overall and 17-2 in league play.

Samford was led in scoring by senior guard Paige Anderson with 17 points. Fellow senior Jazmine Powers scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed six rebounds. Junior forward Hannah Dawson had eight points and five rebounds.

Appalachian State was led by Anna Freeman with 12 points. Maryah Sydnor added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Mountaineers.

The teams traded baskets early in the first half. With the score tied at 7-7, Appalachian State went on a 9-0 run to take a 16-7 lead with 9:39 to go in the first half after a layup by Kelsey Sharkey. Samford answered with a 9-2 run of its own to cut the ASU lead to two points at 18-16 with 4:13 left after a three-point play by Anderson.

Samford eventually closed to within one point late in the first half at 23-22 with 1:51 to go after a jumper by Powers. Appalachian State took a 25-23 lead into halftime.

The game was tight throughout the second half. Samford tied the score at 25-25 early in the half on a jumper by Anderson. Appalachian State was able to push its lead back out to six points at 39-33 with 11:30 to go after a jumper by Sydnor. Samford, however, scored the next six points to tie the game at 39-39 with 10:07 to go after a jumper by Anderson.

With the score tied at 45-45, Appalachian State scored the next five points to take a 50-45 lead with 4:19 to go after a layup by Freeman. Samford fought back to cut the lead to two points at 53-51 with 22 seconds to go after a layup by Taylor Reece. The Bulldogs, however, could get no closer as ASU came away with the 57-53 win.

The loss was Samford's first home setback this season. The Bulldogs are now 10-1 in the Pete Hanna Center this season.

For the game, Samford made 36.4 percent of its shots overall and 21.7 percent of its three-pointers. Appalachian State shot 37.5 percent overall and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. ASU outrebounded Samford, 45-31.

Samford's four seniors, Anderson, Powers, Ruth Ketcham and J'Quita Babineaux were honored prior to the game,

Samford will wrap up the regular-season with a home game against Davidson Monday evening. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start from the Pete Hanna Center.