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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Despite trailing by 13 points early in the second half Saturday, the Samford University basketball team rallied late in the period to cut the Wofford Terriers' lead to 75-73 with 21 seconds remaining, but three straight free throws from junior Eric Garcia and a costly Bulldog turnover proved to be the difference in a 78-75 decision held at the Pete Hanna Center.
 
"I thought that Wofford made three really big plays on the offensive backboard in the second half that changed the game," said Samford head coach Scott Padgett. "There were two times when they got an offensive rebound and then kicked it out for a 3-pointer, and then another time when they scored on a put-back, so they basically got eight points just in those three extra possessions. There was also another time when we had great momentum and cut their lead to five, but then they hit a four-point play."
 
With 14 seconds remaining and trailing by just three points, 76-73, Samford (11-14, 2-10 SoCon) held possession of the ball with a chance to even the score.
 
Sophomore guard Christen Cunningham drove the lane down the left side and careened under the basket on the baseline toward the right corner. In doing so, Cunningham looked for freshman Matt Rose in the corner and fired a pass with hopes of a getting game-tying basket, but the aim proved to be low as the ball bounced off Rose's right leg and went out of bounds.
 
Following the last-minute turnover, Wofford (11-13, 7-4 SoCon) regained possession and received a pair of free throws from Garcia to essentially ice the game at 78-73. Garcia, the Terriers' junior All-SoCon guard from Aurora, Colorado, finished with 17 points, six assists and three rebounds. He also turned in a game-high 7-of-9 performance from the free-throw line.
 
Samford's Wyatt Walker scored on a put-back layup at the buzzer to make the final score 78-75.
 
The Bulldogs only shot 14.3 percent from 3-point range in the first half as Wofford took a 33-26 advantage in the locker room.
 
In the second half, Samford outscored the Terriers, 49-45, and shot a sizzling 54.8 percent from the field. The Bulldogs also turned in a 77.3-percent outing from the free-throw line and dominated Wofford in the paint, 44-20.
 
Senior guard Darius Jones-Gibson led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. He also pulled down a team-high six rebounds and handed out six assists. Jones-Gibson, the Bulldogs' leading scorer this season is averaging 15.3 points per game in 2015-16.
 
Samford's Cunningham added 19 points and six assists Saturday, while true freshman center Wyatt Walker played a huge role in the Bulldogs' front court with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.
 
"I really liked our effort today," Padgett said. "We had fewer turnovers. We shot the ball better from the field than they did, but their 3-point shooting was really the difference in the game. They finished 10-for-18 from 3-point range and we were 4-for-15. I'm not saying we're ever going to beat Wofford in making 3s, but we have to take care of the 3-point line a little better and make sure we rebound, because their second-chance points played a huge role in the game."
 
The Terriers knocked down six crucial 3-point baskets in the second half and finished the contest 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) from beyond the arc. Wofford also damaged the Bulldogs in second-chance points, 13-2, on Saturday to help snap its three-game road losing streak.
 
Four players scored in double figures for the Terriers as Spencer Collins led the way with 18 points. Collins, a preseason All-SoCon Team member, knocked down a trio of 3-point baskets and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Fletcher Magee and Justin Gordon rounded out the double-digit scoring for Wofford with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
 
The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Monday at 5 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs begin a critical three-game road stretch against The Citadel Bulldogs in an important league test to be held at McAlister Field House in Charleston, South Carolina. Earlier this season, Samford earned a 94-74 home victory against The Citadel.
 
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