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LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Samford University basketball team opened its 2014-15 Southern Conference schedule at home against the VMI?Keydets on Dec. 4, and will now close out its regular-season slate Saturday versus those same Keydets at noon (CST) in a momentous league showdown to be held at Cameron Hall.
 
Samford (12-18, 5-12 SoCon) lost its first meeting with VMI (11-17, 7-10 SoCon), 88-66, at the Pete Hanna Center and will now play in Lexington, Virginia, for the first time in over 48 years, dating back to Feb. 24, 1967.
 
The Bulldogs enter the contest with hopes of snapping a four-game losing streak and bouncing back from a disappointing 81-67 loss at UNCG on Thursday. VMI heads into the matchup having won three of its last four games, but coming off a heartbreaking 86-82 (2OT) decision to Chattanooga on Thursday.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT
Samford's two-game, regular-season ending road trip got off to a rough start Thursday as the Bulldogs suffered an 81-67 loss against the UNCG Spartans in a SoCon contest held in front of 1,893 fans at the Greensboro Coliseum.
 
With the loss, Samford dropped its fourth-consecutive game and moved to 3-11 on the road this season. The Bulldogs also had their three-game winning streak snapped against UNCG. Samford's loss to the Spartans was its first since a 66-64 setback on Jan. 24, 2013.
 
The Bulldogs shot 52 percent from the field in the first half and only trailed UNCG by three points, 36-33, at the intermission. Samford drained five 3-point baskets in the opening 20 minutes of play and were led by Christen Cunningham's nine first-half points.
 
UNCG opened the second half with a momentum-shifting dunk from Tevon Saddler and would later use a 3-point play from R.J. White to build a 43-36 advantage with 17:06 left to play.
 
Just moments later, the Bulldogs' Cunningham knocked down a running eight-foot jumper and senior Tyler Hood drained a deep 3-point basket to trim the Spartans' lead to 43-41 with 16:08 to play.
 
It was then that UNCG used a pivotal 26-6 run to build its largest lead of the night at the 7:14 mark, 69-47.
 
During the Spartans' key, game-changing run, senior sharpshooter Nicholas Paulos scored all 11 of his points and became UNCG's 21st player in school history to reach the 1,000-plateau.
 
Samford tried to mount a rally in the final seven minutes of the game, but could get no closer than 11 points down, 73-62, with 2:52 left to play following a jumper from Brandon Roberts.
 
WHAT'S TRENDING . . .
• In Samford's first game against VMI, senior Michael Bradley tallied his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He is currently averaging 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
• Since their first meeting with VMI on Dec. 4, 2014, the Bulldogs' young team has combined to add a total of 233 games of playing experience (21 games - - 9-12 record).
• Samford's Hood is shooting a stellar 92.7 percent (38-of-41) from the free-throw line this season.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
VMI enters Saturday's season finale as the top-ranked team in the nation in three statistical categories. The Keydets currently lead the country in 3-point field goal attempts (1,024), 3-point field goals per game (11.7) and total 3-point field goals made (328).
 
Additionally, VMI is also ranked first in the SoCon in assists per game (14.0), defensive rebounds per game (24.82), offensive rebounds per game (15.04), scoring offense (81.6 ppg.), steals per game (8.7), total rebounds (1,116) and total steals (243).
 
SAMFORD at VMI:  THE FACTS
The Bulldogs will be playing at VMI for just the second time in school history Saturday. In the first all-time meeting between the teams, Samford earned an 81-71 win on the road against the Keydets on Feb. 24, 1967; a meeting which took place just over 48 years ago. Earlier this season, VMI won at Samford, 88-66, in the Bulldogs' 2014-15 SoCon opener.
 
IN THE LAST MEETING
On Dec. 4, 2014, Samford committed 20 costly turnovers and allowed VMI to score 25 points off its mistakes in the 2014-15 SoCon opener for both squads as the Bulldogs dropped an 88-66 decision at home in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
Samford outshot and out-rebounded VMI in the contest, but committed 10 more turnovers. The Keydets capitalized on the Bulldogs' miscues and outscored Samford, 25-9, in points off turnovers.
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick six-point lead, 8-2, at the 17:12 mark in the opening period. VMI would eventually battle back and closed out the first half with a 25-10 run and held a 50-40 lead at the intermission.
 
In the second frame, Samford opened the period with three straight layups from Cunningham and Hood. Hood's up-and-under move was sandwiched in between a pair of driving baskets from Cunningham.
 
VMI then knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers from Julian Eleby and QJ Peterson to extend the Keydets lead back to 10 points at 56-46.
 
Down the stretch, Samford would get no closer than eight points as VMI controlled the momentum of the game and earned its 88-66 victory.
 
THE SAMFORD YOUTH MOVEMENT
Nine of the Bulldogs' 15 members of the 2014-15 roster are underclassmen. Samford boasts four true freshmen this season in Cunningham, Alex Peters, Gerald Smith and Evan Taylor, while Eric Adams, Ryan Dickey, Nnamdi Enechionyia, Emeka Ikezu and Roberts comprise the Bulldogs' talented sophomore class.
 
SAMFORD'S NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Four of the Bulldogs' top seven scorers this season are in their first year at Samford. The Bulldogs' leading scorer in 2014-15 is junior guard Darius Jones-Gibson, who is in the midst of his first season at Samford.
 
Jones-Gibson is scoring 12.0 points per game this season, while fellow newcomers, Cunningham, Taylor and Marcus Johnson are also listed among the Bulldogs' top seven scorers this season.
 
Cunningham and Taylor are both true freshmen guards this season and are averaging 9.9 and 6.2 points per game, respectively. Additionally, Johnson is scoring 6.1 points per contest this season as Samford's top four newcomers are averaging a total of 34.2 points per outing.
 
HOOD REACHES HISTORIC 1,000-POINT PLATEAU
Samford's Hood scored six points at The Citadel on Jan. 8 to reach the prestigious 1,000-point plateau in his career. With the achievement, Hood became just the 24th player in the Bulldogs' illustrious 113-year history to reach the milestone. He enters Saturday's contest with 1,135 career points.
 
Hood is averaging 10.7 points per game this season and has already moved into the No. 16 position on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list.
 
720-STRAIGHT AND STILL COUNTING
The Bulldogs have made at least one 3-point field goal in 720-consecutive games. The last time that Samford did not make a 3-point basket was on Jan. 19, 1991, against UTSA.
 
The Bulldogs' streak of having made at least two 3-pointers in a game was snapped on Dec. 13, 2008, against Saint Louis when Samford turned in a dismal 1-for-14 performance from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs' streak of 476-straight games with two 3-pointers began Feb. 8, 1992.
 
UNLV is the national leader in consecutive games with a 3-point field goal as the Running Rebels have made a 3-point basket in 937-straight games dating back to the 1986-87 season. Kentucky (931) and Vanderbilt (926) are the only other two schools that have made at least one 3-point basket since the rule was adopted prior to the 1986 campaign.
 
NEXT UP
Following Saturday's regular-season finale at VMI, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Friday in Asheville, North Carolina, as the Bulldogs will begin play in the 2015 SoCon Tournament. Depending on its result against VMI, Samford will either be in the 8/9 game at 5 p.m. (CST) or the 7/10 game beginning at 7:30 p.m., in the U.S. Cellular Center.

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