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MOBILE, Ala. -- The Samford University basketball team earned its first road win against the South Alabama Jaguars in school history Friday as the Bulldogs played their way to an 82-79 victory in a key non-conference contest held at the Mitchell Center.
 
The triumph also proved to be Samford's (7-3) first against South Alabama (6-5) in over 43 years, dating all the way back to Feb. 10, 1972. The new-look Bulldogs, in their third season under the direction of Head Coach Scott Padgett, snapped a 14-game losing streak against South Alabama.
 
Samford, which tallied its fourth straight victory on the season Friday, will next be in action Monday at 1 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs travel to Tallahassee, Florida, for a tough early-season showdown against the No. 23-ranked Florida State Seminoles.
 
Since suffering a heartbreaking 106-103 double-overtime setback against Nicholls State on Nov. 27, Samford has rattled off four straight victories against Saint Louis, 68-64, Jacksonville State, 81-77, Miles College, 92-73, and South Alabama.
 
The Bulldogs' Christen Cunningham paced the team with 20 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor Friday. More importantly, Samford's talented junior point guard finished with a brilliant 10-of-11 performance from the free-throw line. Cunningham is shooting a sizzling 90.9 percent (40-of-44) from the charity stripe this season.
 
As a team, Samford turned in a vital 28-of-31 mark from the line Friday, including a perfect 16-for-16 performance in the first half.
 
Josh Sharkey, the Bulldogs' impressive true freshman point guard from Philadelphia, notched a 10-of-12 tally from the free-throw line and scored a career-high 15 points against the Jaguars. He added three steals and two assists in 25 minutes of playing time.
 
Samford's Wyatt Walker registered his jaw-dropping eighth double-double of the young 2016-17 season Friday. Walker, the Bulldogs' native of Jacksonville, Florida, entered the game ranked No. 3 in the nation in double-doubles. He closed out Samford's victory with 13 points, 11 rebounds and two steals.
 
Samford juniors Demetrius Denzel-Dyson and Alex Thompson finished the contest with 10 and nine points scored, respectively.
 
Denzel-Dyson, who entered Friday ranked No. 12 in the nation with a stellar 52.2 percent mark from 3-point range, knocked down both of his attempts from beyond the arc against South Alabama. He is now shooting 54.2 percent from 3-point range this season.
 
Samford led by as many as 15 points with approximately 12 minutes to play in the second half, but South Alabama trimmed the Bulldogs' lead to two with under a minute left. Down the stretch, Samford's Sharkey and Cunningham knocked down the key free throws to secure the victory.
 
The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Monday at 1 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs conclude their two-game road swing against the No. 23-ranked Florida State Seminoles in a contest to be held at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
 
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