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LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- The Samford University basketball team will face its second early-season road test in three days Wednesday as the Bulldogs continue their campaign-opening, four-match road trip at 8 p.m. (CST) in a key non-conference contest against the New Mexico State Aggies to be held at the Pan American Center.
 
Wednesday's matchup is a part of the 2016 San Diego Classic. On Monday, Samford (1-0) opened its 2016-17 season in impressive fashion with a wire-to-wire 83-65 road victory against the San Diego Toreros in their first matchup of the four-game San Diego Classic. The contest was held at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego.
 
Later this month, the Bulldogs will close out the four-game San Diego Classic with back-to-back home games against Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 26) and Nicholls State (Nov. 27).
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - - BULLDOGS ROLL TO SEASON-OPENING WIN AT SAN DIEGO, 83-65
Samford finished Monday's victory with five players scoring in double figures as the Bulldogs led all 40 minutes en route to a dazzling 83-65 triumph over San Diego.
 

In the win, the Bulldogs were paced by junior Demetrius Denzel-Dyson's 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, while Alex Thompson followed with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal. Denzel-Dyson drained four 3-point baskets in the matchup and only missed one attempt from downtown.
 
Thompson also turned in a strong outing from 3-point range with a 2-for-4 performance. As a team, Samford finished 10-of-25 from beyond the arc for a 40-percent outing.
 
On Monday, 79 of the Bulldogs' 83 points were scored by five players.
 
Denzel-Dyson and Thompson led the way with a combined 37 points for Samford, while Wyatt Walker proved to be dominant in the frontcourt by recording a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Walker's 15 rebounds set a career-high and his total was more than double the closest competitor.
 
Additionally, Walker's double-double proved to be the fifth of his young, up-and-coming career.
 
Junior point guard Christen Cunningham ran the show for the Bulldogs and scored 14 points, while handing out a game-high seven assists. True freshman point guard Josh Sharkey looked sharp in his collegiate debut and closed out the victory with 12 points, three assists and a trio of steals.
 
SAMFORD IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The NCAA's first edition of its national statistical rankings were released Monday and the Bulldogs were included in a number of top 50 listings. Samford's national rankings are listed below:
 
#6 - - - Fewest Turnovers (6)
#7 - - - Fewest Turnovers per game (7)
#9 - - - Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.13)
#39 - - - Rebound Margin (14.0)
#44 - - - 3-point Field Goals Per Game (10.0)
#47 - - - Fewest Fouls (19)
 
Additionally, Samford is ranked among the top three teams in the Southern Conference in 17 of the 30 statistical categories kept by the NCAA, including No. 1 in the following four listings:  assist/turnover ratio, fewest fouls, fewest turnovers and fewest turnovers per game.
 

BULLDOGS' WALKER IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Samford's Walker turned in an outstanding game against San Diego on Monday with 16 points and 15 rebounds, therefore is subsequently ranked in the national statistical standings in a number of categories. Check them out here:
 
#4 - - - Defensive Rebounds Per Game (12)
#9 - - - Rebounds Per Game (15)
#11 - - - Double-Doubles (1)
 
Also, joining Walker in the national statistical rankings this week were also Denzel-Dyson, Cunningham and Sharkey. Here is how they stand on the national scale.
 
DEMETRIUS DENZEL-DYSON
#20 - - - 3-point Field-Goal Percentage (80.0)
#28 - - - 3-point Field-Goals Per Game (4.0)
#45 - - - Field-Goal Percentage (77.8)
 
CHRISTEN CUNNINGHAM
#27 - - - Assists Per Game (7)
 

JOSH SHARKEY
#36 - - - Steals Per Game (3)
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
New Mexico State (1-1) heads into Wednesday's matchup with aspirations of bouncing back from a hard-fought 64-61 road defeat at Colorado State on Sunday. The loss proved to be the Aggies' first setback of the 2016-17 campaign. In its season opener, New Mexico State breezed to a 100-52 home victory against Arizona Christian University on Friday.
 
In Sunday's three-point loss at Colorado State, an extended scoring drought in the second half doomed the Aggies in a tough setback held at Moby Arena.
 
Ian Baker led New Mexico State with 16 points while Eli Chuha tallied 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Jemerrio Jones had a solid night once again, scoring nine points on nine boards with two blocks and two steals.
 
As a team, the Aggies were out-rebounded 47-35 and outshot 25-11 at the free-throw line. Colorado State also earned a 16-2 advantage in second-chance points.
 
Baker is New Mexico State's leading scorer this season with 14 points per game. He leads four players averaging double-digit scoring in 2016-17.
 
SAMFORD vs. NEW MEXICO STATE - - THE ALL-TIME SERIES
The Bulldogs will be squaring off against New Mexico State for the third time in school history Wednesday. Heading into the matchup, the series is tied at 1-1, with Samford taking the most recent meeting, 66-56, on Dec. 18, 1976.
 
Therefore, the teams have not played on the hardwood in nearly 40 years. The first game in the series occurred Dec. 23, 1974, in Las Cruces, as New Mexico State tallied a 93-58 win. The second meeting between the teams was held in Birmingham at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (BJCC).
 
SCORING IS KEY
Since the beginning of last season, Samford has registered an 8-1 record when scoring at least 80 points. On Monday, the Bulldogs opened the 2016-17 season with a dominant 83-65 road victory at San Diego and turned in a 46.9-percent shooting performance from the field, including a welcome 10-of-25 (40 percent) outing from 3-point range.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Wednesday's road showdown at New Mexico State, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Monday at 6 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs travel to Buies Creek, North Carolina, for a third straight game away from home against the Campbell Camels. The contest will be held at CU's Gore Arena/Pope Convocation Center (3,095).
 
For quick score updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow @SamfordHoopsFOE and @Samford_Sports on Twitter.

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