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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University basketball team used a phenomenal 41-9 run Saturday to soar past the Austin Peay Govenors, 85-63, in a pivotal early-season battle of former Ohio Valley Conference rivals held at the Pete Hanna Center. Samford's 85 points scored proved to be the highest total of The Seltzer Era.
 
"I was really pleased with how hard our team played today," said Samford head coach Bennie Seltzer. "We did a great job of competing on the defensive end and especially in getting stops. We also scored the basketball when we needed to, but it was ultimately our defensive play that won the game for us."
 
Samford (4-7) trailed Austin Peay (4-5), 39-27, with 1:59 remaining in the first half, but then closed out the opening period with back-to-back 3-pointers from Isaiah Williams and Raijon Kelly. Following Kelly's third of his game-high five 3-point baskets, momentum shifted in favor of the homestanding Bulldogs in a major way.
 
Samford's 6-0 streak to end the first half ignited an unprecedented 41-9 run which encompassed exactly 13 minutes and 11 seconds and gave the Bulldogs a 68-48 advantage midway through the second half.
 
In its biggest turning point of the 2013-14 season, Samford turned a 12-point deficit into a decisive 20-point lead with 8:48 remaining in the game.
 
The Bulldogs improved to 4-1 at home this season and will next be in action Saturday at noon as they square off against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in another key non-conference contest to be held at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.
 
With Saturday's loss, Austin Peay (4-5) dropped to 15-7 all-time versus Samford and suffered its first defeat versus the Bulldogs since Jan. 26, 2008, in the teams' final meeting as OVC foes.
 
Samford's momentous victory was ignited by junior guard Raijon Kelly's season-high 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. The Bulldogs' 6-foot-4 native of St. Paul, Minn., returned to the starting lineup for the first time in four games and answered the bell with a season-high five 3-point baskets.
 
Kelly scored nine of his game-high 21 points in the first half Saturday and finished the contest with eight assists and two steals in 31 minutes of playing time.
 
"Raijon is a scorer," Seltzer said. "That's his role on our team and he did a great job today of playing his role. He's really worked hard these last couple of days and it's good to see that his hard work paid off."
 
The Bulldogs shot a sizzling 70 percent from 3-point range in the second half and posted a 65.4 shooting percentage from the field in the final 20 minutes of action. Both proved to be season-highs for Samford.
 
Samford's strong defensive performance forced 19 Austin Peay turnovers and limited the Governors to a 28.1 shooting percentage from the field, as well as a dismal 2-of-20 mark from beyond the arc.
 
"Defensively, we were able to get ourselves into the right place at the right time," Seltzer said. "Another important thing was that we rebounded the ball well. We played extremely well to start the second half and again it was our defense that proved to be the key."
 
The Bulldogs' Isaiah Williams scored 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor and drained 4-of-8 attempts from 3-point range. Williams, the reigning Southern Conference Freshman of the Week, also accumulated six assists, two rebounds and a pair of steals in 29 minutes of game action.
 
Samford's Tim Williams, who finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds in his collegiate debut versus Austin Peay last season, nearly tallied another double-double Saturday with 12 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Bulldogs outscored Austin Peay, 39-20, in the paint and ran past the Governors for a 21-8 advantage in fast-break points. Samford also registered 25 assists on its 28 made field goals for a remarkable 89.3 percentage.
 
"We did a great job of sharing the basketball today," said Seltzer. "That's a big factor for us and I really thought that we played unselfishly, and that helped us tremendously. Our guys are starting to click out there on the court and that's what needs to happen for us to win on a consistent basis."
 
Austin Peay's Chris Horton, the 2013 OVC Freshman of the Year, registered a double-double Saturday with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Governors' Travis Betran scored a team-high 13 points, but finished just 5-of-14 from the field.
 
During Samford's phenomenal 41-9 run, the Bulldogs' defense proved to be the key as it forced Austin Peay into 15 missed field goals and nine turnovers, all while scoring a total of nine points in nearly 14 minutes.
 
A total of 13 Bulldogs earned playing time Saturday, 11 of whom scored points versus Austin Peay. Tyler Hood returned to the starting lineup and finished with nine points and three steals, while Connor Miller tallied eight points, four rebounds and four assists.
 
Samford's Russell Wilson and Michael Bradley both added five points. Bradley, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-10 junior from Chattanooga, Tenn., also grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in only 13 minutes of playing time.
 
The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Dec. 14 at noon as the Bulldogs begin a three-game road trip against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Next week's contest will be held at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.

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