Game Notes
SoCon Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University basketball team will open its 2013 schedule with a key Southern Conference matchup Saturday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs welcome the Chattanooga Mocs to the Pete Hanna Center for an instrumental North Division showdown.
Fans unable to attend the game in person can follow along via Samford's free
Live-stream. The contest will also be broadcasted locally on
97.3 FM The Zone and
Live Stats will be provided on SamfordSports.com.
Samford (3-11, 1-0 SoCon) heads into the contest looking to bounce back from an 87-51 loss at Wisconsin on Dec. 29. In the road defeat, the Bulldogs finished with three players scoring in double figures and were paced by sophomore guard
Raijon Kelly's game-high 16 points.
Connor Miller and
Tim Williams also scored in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Bulldogs have played four of their last five games on the road and completed their latest road stretch with a 1-3 record. Samford defeated UT Martin, 75-62, on Dec. 19, but lost at No. 19 Kentucky, 88-56, Bowling Green, 57-42, and Wisconsin, 87-51.
Chattanooga (5-9, 0-1 SoCon) recently had its three-game winning streak snapped in a 74-58 loss at Georgia Tech on Wednesday. The Mocs opened the season with a 2-8 record, but tallied three-consecutive home victories against Reinhardt, 108-78, High Point, 68-61, and Utah Valley, 76-69, to close out the 2012 calendar year.
Chattanooga enters Saturday's game as the top rebounding team in the conference. The Mocs are averaging a league-best 39.3 rebounds per game this season and also lead the SoCon in both rebounding margin (+5.3) and offensive rebounds per outing (14.4). Chattanooga's top scorer this season has been junior forward Z. Mason with 13.4 points per game.
In a historic rivalry that began Feb. 12, 1926, Samford will meet Chattanooga on the hardwood Saturday for an 86th time in school history. The Mocs currently hold a 49-36 advantage in the rivalry and earned an 86-78 win in the most recent meeting held Feb. 25, 2012. Since joining the SoCon, Samford owns a 3-6 record against Chattanooga.
The Bulldogs last faced the Mocs at The McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn., and were outscored 57-40 in the second half as Samford was upended by Chattanooga, 86-78, in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Bulldogs held a 38-29 lead at the half, but the Mocs' Keegan Bell knocked down five second-half 3-pointers to lead Chattanooga to victory.
Samford finished with four players scoring in double figures last season against the Mocs. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Kelly who tallied a career-high 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. The Bulldogs' native of St. Paul, Minn., also grabbed five rebounds and made a number of jaw-dropping drives to the basket.
Tyler Hood added 16 points for the Bulldogs last season in his home state of Tennessee. The Kingston native shot 4-of-11 from the field at Chattanooga and finished 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Also last season,
Will Cook, Samford's high-flying athlete from Dallas, Texas, registered the first double-double of his collegiate career with 15 points and 11 rebounds. He also knocked down a trio of 3-point baskets.
The 2012-13 season marks Samford's fifth year as a member of the SoCon. Prior to the 2008-09 campaign, the Bulldogs spent the previous five seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference and earned a 53-39 league record.
Before competing in the OVC, Samford was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference (previously known as the Trans America Athletic Conference) from 1989 until 2003. During its 14 seasons in the TAAC/A-Sun, the Bulldogs earned a pair of conference championships and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in both 1999 and 2000.
Samford is the newest member of the SoCon, but already owns a pair of established rivalries with current members of the 12-team conference.
The Bulldogs have squared off against the Georgia Southern Eagles 51 times in their history, and have also met the Chattanooga Mocs 85 times in school history. Samford's all-time rivalry with Chattanooga is its fourth-longest, following long-time series' against Mercer (104), Birmingham-Southern (92) and Jacksonville State (88).
The SoCon released its annual Preseason Media Rankings on Oct. 25, as the Samford basketball team was projected to finish fourth in the SoCon North Division. UNCG and Davidson were tabbed as the favorites to capture the conference's divisional titles in 2012-13.
Both the Wildcats and Spartans were also selected preseason favorites by the league's coaches after each team won its respective division in 2011-12.
Samford, under the direction of first-year head coach Bennie Seltzer, garnered 72 total points and was predicted to finish tied for fourth place with Appalachian State in the North Division rankings. The Bulldogs returned three starters from last season's squad, which concluded the year tied for third place in the division at 8-10.
A key mantra in Seltzer's philosophy is Intensity. The Bulldogs' 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.
The Bulldogs' Williams is ranked No. 84 in the nation with three double-doubles. Already this season, Samford's highly-touted true freshman from Chicago, Ill., has registered double-double performances against Austin Peay (23/10), Martin Methodist (13/10) and Alcorn State (10/14).
Williams, a 6-foot-8 forward, is also ranked No. 80 in the nation in field-goal percentage (52.4) and ranked No. 128 in the nation in rebounds per game (7.6).
Following Saturday's home game against Chattanooga, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Thursday at 6:30 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs return to the road to face the College of Charleston Cougars at TD Arena in downtown Charleston, S.C.
Game Notes
SoCon Release
