Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford women's basketball team earned a 55-47 Southern Conference win over Appalachian State Monday evening in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
"I think our team is really playing well together," Samford head coach Mike Morris said. "I think our team has really bought into defending and guarding, and that was evident in the last two games. I'm really pleased with their mindset and how they're coming together as a team, but also how we're doing it from a defensive standpoint."
 
With the win, Samford pulls even with Appalachian State in the SoCon standings, with both teams holding 6-7 league marks. Samford has a record of 8-16 overall, while the Mountaineers fall to 9-14 overall.
 
In the win, Samford was led by senior Christy Robinson with 14 points. Sophomore Krista Stricklin followed with 13 points, going 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Freshmen Clara Young and Hannah Nichols added nine points each for the Bulldogs. Redshirt freshman Lydia McGee led Samford in rebounding with six boards.
 
"Offensively, we've had enough to win," Morris said. "We've made some big shots. Christy Robinson is playing great for us around the goal. Hannah Nichols has made some big shots, Clara Young has made some big shots, so we've been able to get enough offense to win."
 
For Appalachian State, Keke Cooper had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Maryah Sydnor followed with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
 
In the first half, Appalachian State jumped out to an early 10-3 lead with 16:15 to go in the first half after a jumper by Bria Hoffman. Samford answered with a 7-0 run to tie the score at 10-10 with 13:34 left in the first half following a pair of free throws by Stricklin.
 
Samford took the lead at 16-15 with 7:09 to go in the first half after a layup by Young. Appalachian State came back to take a 21-18 lead with 2:42 left in the opening period following a layup by Joi Jones. Samford closed the half with an 8-0 run to take a 26-21 lead heading into halftime.
 
Samford pushed its lead to six points at 27-21 early in the second half on a free throw by Brittany Stevens. Appalachian State then went on a 9-2 run to take a 30-29 lead with 13:46 to go after a three-pointer by Farrahn Wood.
 
The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes until, with Appalachian State leading, 39-36, Samford went on a 10-2 run to take a 46-41 lead with 4:33 to go after a layup by Robinson. ASU fought back to cut the lead to one at 46-45, but Samford scored the next five points to stretch its lead to 51-45 with 20 seconds to go after two free throws by Young. Stricklin and Young each hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to help Samford come away with the 55-47 win.
 
As a team, Samford made 19-of-25 free-throw attempts. The Bulldogs shot 36.4 percent from the floor, while Appalachian State made 38.6 percent of its shots. Samford has now won five of its last seven games, including its last four at home.
 
Samford will return to action on Feb. 15, when the Bulldogs play at Wofford. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (CT) start from Spartanburg, S.C.