Live Video (ESPN3)
Live Stats                   
Game Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- In its final home game of the 2015-16 season, the Samford University basketball team will be wearing red jerseys in honor of the American Heart Association on Saturday and will attempt to Red Out the VMI Keydets in a key Southern Conference contest slated to begin at 2 p.m. (CST) and be broadcast live to a national audience on ESPN3.
 
Samford (12-17, 3-13 SoCon) will also honor its 2015-16 senior class prior to the game as Darius Jones-Gibson, Iman Johnson, Marcus Johnson and Jamal Shabazz will all be recognized with a special Senior Day presentation.
 
WHAT'S TRENDING . . .
• Senior Jones-Gibson is ranked 14th in the nation in free-throw attempts with 204.
• Senior Iman Johnson has started in 23 games this season and is averaging 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per outing, including 39 steals and 35 assists in 20.8 minutes per contest.
• Senior Marcus Johnson is the Bulldogs' leading scorer off the bench with 7.3 points per game.
• Senior Shabazz has started every game this year and is shooting 81.5% from the line.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
VMI (7-18, 2-12 SoCon) heads into Saturday's matchup with hopes of bouncing back from an 85-59 road loss at first-place Chattanooga on Thursday. The Keydets have struggled when playing away from home this season and are only 1-13 in road games.
 
VMI's junior guard QJ Peterson enters Saturday's game ranked fifth in the nation in free-throw percentage. The Keydets' leading scorer, who is averaging 17.7 points per game this season, is shooting a remarkable 90.7 percent from the free-throw line. Peterson is also VMI's top rebounder this year and is averaging 5.9 boards per contest.
 
As a team, the Keydets are ranked No. 41 in the nation in 3-point field-goal attempts (651) and are No. 46 in 3-point field goals per game at 8.6. Currently, VMI is ranked last in the SoCon in scoring margin at negative 7.7 points per outing.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Bulldogs will be facing VMI for just the fifth time in school history Saturday. The first meeting between the teams occurred Feb. 24, 1967, as Samford notched an 81-71 win in Lexington, Virginia. Earlier this season, the Bulldogs played on the road at VMI and dropped an 83-76 decision Jan. 21. The all-time series between the teams is tied at 2-2.
 
SENIOR NIGHT
Prior to Saturday's game, the Bulldogs will honor their 2016 senior class comprised of Jones-Gibson, Iman Johnson, Marcus Johnson and Shabazz with a special Senior Day presentation.
 
Samford would like to honor and thank the Bulldogs' 2016 senior class for all of its hard work and dedication. This group will forever go down in Samford lore as having laid the foundation for the Bulldogs' success, and their efforts have not only been displayed on the court, but off the court as well.
 
This year's senior class has played a key role in Samford's basketball program, and will be honored today for all of its many contributions.
 
DARIUS JONES-GIBSON
As one of the most prolific scorers in Samford history, Jones-Gibson has already tallied 824 points in only 61 games, for an average of 13.3 points per outing. Already this season, the Bulldogs' dynamic guard is leading the team with 15 points per game and is ranked 14th in the nation in free-throw attempts.
 
Following a successful sophomore year at Barton County Community College, Jones-Gibson transferred to Samford in 2014, and has been a staple in the Bulldogs' starting lineup ever since. He will be making his 62nd straight start today, and has scored in double digits 21 times this season.
 
In the best game of his Samford career, Jones-Gibson tallied 31 points, 10 rebounds and 12 field goals against Auburn-Montgomery. A seven-time, 20-point scorer this season, he will be graduating in sport administration in the spring.
 
IMAN JOHNSON
A fifth-year graduate transfer, Iman Johnson joined Samford's squad over the summer and immediately added toughness, maturity and experience to the team. At 6-foot-5, he has played brilliantly at forward this season and is ranked second on the roster in rebounding with 4.3 per game.
 
Iman Johnson has already made 24 starts this season and is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. On Nov. 21, he played a huge role in Samford's home victory against Kennesaw State, as he scored a career-high 12 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting from the floor. He also added four steals, three rebounds and two assists.
 
As the most seasoned member of the Bulldogs' team this year, Iman Johnson's leadership and experience has been huge in the growth and maturation of the squad. He is currently working towards his master's degree in educational leadership.
 
MARCUS JOHNSON
In his second season at Samford, the Bulldogs' high-energy guard has played a huge role off the bench and is scoring an average of 7.1 points per game. Since transferring to Samford from Wallace State Junior College in 2014, he has earned playing time in all 62 games as a Bulldog and has handed out 115 assists.  
 
As one of the team's top defensive players, Marcus Johnson has filled a key role in Samford's high-octane, full-court pressing defense, and has already earned 27 steals. Additionally, he scored a season-high 16 points against Furman on Feb. 4, and added 15 crucial points in the Bulldogs' come-from-behind victory against Troy on Nov. 23.
 
In one of his best games at Samford, Marcus Johnson dropped in a career-high 20 points against ETSU in 2015 and later knocked off the Buccaneers on the road as his last-second, 3-point basket lifted the Bulldogs to a 71-68 win. He has also taken care of business in the classroom and will graduate with a degree in sport administration this spring.
 
JAMAL SHABAZZ
As one of the most athletic players in Samford history, Shabazz's high-flying dunks and sky-rising rebounds have become a staple on the court this season. A highly-touted transfer from Lamar State College in 2014, he has started in all 30 games of his senior year, and is averaging 7.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per outing.
 
As one of the top free-throw shooters in the SoCon, Shabazz boasts an 81.5-percent mark from the charity stripe, and is also ranked third on the team with 31 3-point field goals. A key piece in Samford's defensive scheme, he has already tallied 15 blocks and 15 assists this year, while averaging 24 minutes per contest.
 
His best game of the season occurred at Austin Peay on Nov. 28, as Shabazz exploded for a career-high 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. He will be graduating with a degree in sport administration in the spring.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - - 'DOGS DROP OVERTIME HEARTBREAKER TO UNCG, 82-77
Samford dropped its third overtime contest of the 2015-16 season Thursday as the Bulldogs suffered a difficult 82-77 SoCon loss to the UNCG Spartans at home in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
With the loss, Samford moved to 5-7 at home this season and fell short in its third straight game. Since earning a 95-86 road win at The Citadel on Feb. 8, the Bulldogs have dropped consecutive outings to ETSU, 94-90 (OT), Western Carolina, 76-71, and UNCG, where all three of the games proved one-possession contests with less than a minute to play.
 
Samford forced UNCG into a game-high 20 turnovers, but committed 17 of its own, including four costly miscues in the final minutes of regulation. The Bulldogs finished a respectable 24-of-32 from the free-throw line for 75 percent, while the Spartans turned in an 84-percent clip at 21-of-25. Samford missed two of its five free-throw attempts in overtime.
 
The Bulldogs led by as many as eight points in the second half, 47-39, but the streaky UNCG squad battled back to take a four-point advantage, 68-64, with 2:09 remaining in the game. Samford's Jones-Gibson then scored five straight points and Christen Cunningham connected on the backend of a two-shot foul to give the Bulldogs a 70-68 advantage with 17 seconds left on the clock.
 
On the Spartans' final possession of regulation, senior Kayel Locke drove the lane with five seconds to play and was fouled by Wyatt Walker. Locke then went to the free-throw line and bounced both attempts in to tie the score at 70-70.
 
In overtime, Francis Alonso knocked down an early 3-point basket and UNCG was able to maintain the positive momentum for the remainder of the game. The Spartans held on for the 82-77 victory and finished with their season sweep of Samford.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Saturday's home finale against VMI, the Samford University basketball team will take a week off from competitive action before traveling to face Chattanooga on Feb. 27, in the team's last regular-season game of the season to be held at 4 p.m. (CST) at The McKenzie Arena in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.
 
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.

Live Video (ESPN3)
Live Stats                    
Game Notes