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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- In the final game of the 2013 First Bank and Trust Company Roundball Showcase, the Samford University basketball team used career-high performances in scoring from sophomore Tim Williams and true freshman Isaiah Williams to defeat the Campbellsville Tigers, 79-68, at the Pete Hanna Center.
 
"This was a good win tonight and a good way to open a four-game homestand," said Samford head coach Bennie Seltzer. "We'll review this film tonight and get ready for the quick turnaround game against Kentucky State on Sunday. I'm happy with our win. I'm excited about it and now it's time to move on to the next one."
 
With Friday's victory, Samford (2-6) improved to 2-0 at home this season and will continue its current four-game homestand Sunday at 2 p.m. (CST) against Kentucky State.
 
Campbellsville (2-2), which has played against four Division I opponents as exhibitions this season, moved to 0-4 versus higher-level foes. The Tigers opened the 2013-14 campaign at No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State and only lost by 10 points, 80-70, in front of 5,500 fans in Stillwater, Okla.
 
Campbellsville was also defeated in road games at Western Kentucky, 87-73, and UNC Wilmington, 72-55.
 
"Campbellsville has seven guys on its roster that played Division I basketball, so they are a very tough squad," Seltzer said. "We told our guys not to focus too much on the fact that they compete on a lower level, but that they play very hard and have really good players. They are definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with in their league."
 
Samford's duo comprised of Isaiah and Tim Williams combined to score 53 of the team's 79 points Friday.
 
Tim Williams, the Bulldogs' dynamic 6-foot-8 forward from Chicago, Ill., exploded for a career-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and added six rebounds. His personal-best scoring performance topped his previous high of 23, which was accomplished in his college debut, Nov. 9, 2012, at Austin Peay.
 
"Tim was great tonight and that's how we need him to play if we're going to be successful," said Seltzer. "He definitely showed up tonight and he played a very good game.
 
Isaiah Williams scored 19 of his career-high 26 points in the first-half Friday and finished a near-perfect 9-of-11 from the floor. The Bulldogs' 6-foot-1 point guard from Buford, Ga., concluded the game with an unblemished 5-of-5 performance from 3-point range and tallied five rebounds and four assists.
 
"The thing about Isaiah tonight is that he was playing with the flu," said Seltzer. "I joked with him and said that if he's playing like this with the flu, then I don't ever want him to get better. But seriously, the effort that Isaiah gave tonight and how hard that he played is really a great testament to his competitiveness and heart. He really played very hard tonight."
 
Samford took control of the game early and built a 10-point lead, 32-22, with 5:31 remaining in the first half. Isaiah Williams then scored nine-straight points for the Bulldogs as they extended the advantage to 45-31 with 36 seconds left to play in the opening period.
 
Following a rebound from Isaiah Williams and a timeout from Seltzer with four ticks remaining in the half, Samford perfectly executed a full-court inbounds play as Tim Williams took the ball 75 feet for the buzzer-beating layup.
 
The Bulldogs shot a sizzling 58.1 percent from the field in the first half and took a 47-31 advantage into the locker room.
 
Samford limited Campbellsville to a 33.3-percent outing from the floor in the opening period. Jordan Myers led the Tigers with 12 first-half points and finished the game with a team-high 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. Myers also knocked down a team-high four 3-point baskets.
 
"Myers is a tough matchup, because he's a big guy who can really shoot the basketball," Seltzer said. "I thought we did a good job on their other big guy, A'Darius Pegues, by getting him into foul trouble. He only played 19 minutes tonight."
 
Early in the second half, Campbellsville used an 11-4 run to trim the Bulldogs' lead to 51-44 with 15:32 left to play.
 
Samford's Connor Miller then answered with a huge 3-point shot to shift the momentum back to the Bulldogs.
 
With 4:09 left to play in Friday's game, Miles Rice dropped in a 6-foot jumper to cut Samford's advantage to 68-63, but the Bulldogs quickly bounced back consecutive layups from Tim Williams and Brandon Roberts, as well as a pair of free throws from Tim Williams.
 
Samford's late run gave the Bulldogs a decisive 11-point lead as they followed through with the 79-68 non-conference victory.
 
The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Sunday at 2 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs continue their four-game homestand against the Kentucky State Thorobreds in a non-conference contest to be held at the Pete Hanna Center.

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