Tickets  |  Video (ESPN3)  |  Audio  |  Live Stats  |  Game Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University basketball team will continue play in its critical three-game Southern Conference homestand Wednesday at 7 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs welcome the defending league champion and preseason-favorite Chattanooga Mocs to the Pete Hanna Center for a marquee showdown to be broadcast live on ESPN3.
 
Two-time Hall of Famer Curt Bloom will be calling the action with Bill "The Coach" Jones analyzing the game along with up-and-coming sideline reporter Hattie Breece. The contest will also be broadcast live on the radio at 99.1 FM as Blake Gardner describes the action vividly from press row.
 
Samford (16-12, 7-8 SoCon) heads into Wednesday's game looking to build on the positive momentum from Saturday's 80-61 home victory against VMI. With the win, the Bulldogs swept the Keydets this season and moved to 8-5 when playing at home.
 

Wednesday's matchup will be Samford's annual Coca-Cola Red Out Game where the Bulldogs will wear red jerseys and the first 1,000 fans will receive a free red T-shirt.
 
SAMFORD POISED TO BREAK 56-YEAR RECORD
The Bulldogs are ranked ninth in the nation in free throws made this season with a current total of 520. The school record for most free throws made in a season is 564 and was set over 55 years ago in the 1960-61 campaign.
 
QUICK HITTERS
-- Samford boasts four players averaging double figures in scoring this season in Demetrius Denzel-Dyson (16.0), Wyatt Walker (12.7), Alex Thompson (11.1) and Christen Cunningham (10.7).
 
-- In SoCon games this year, Samford is averaging 81.1 points per game, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from 3-point range.
 
-- Samford's Christen Cunningham owns the school's single-season record in assists this year with 178.
 
-- On Jan. 2, Samford freshman Josh Sharkey set a school record with seven steals at Western Carolina.
 

BULLDOGS IN THE MIDST OF A HISTORIC SEASON
Samford reached the 16-victory mark this season in 28 games and achieved the feat on Feb. 18. Therefore, the Bulldogs are in the midst of their best season since 2008-09, when Samford finished the season with a 16-16 overall record.
 
PADGETT IN HIS THIRD SEASON
Samford head coach Scott Padgett is in his third season at the helm of the Bulldogs. Padgett currently owns a 43-50 record at Samford and is in the midst of the school's winningest season in seven years, dating all the way back to the 2008-09 campaign.
 
Last year, the Bulldogs compiled an impressive 10-5 record in non-conference play and registered a pivotal 69-58 road victory at Nebraska. The win proved to be Samford's first triumph against a Big Ten opponent in school history.
 
"I'm really excited about where we're at right now," said Padgett recently. "We still have a long way to go, but I think we're on target to where we wanted to be in year three. We have a team that's right there talent-wise and that will be able to compete. I think Samford fans have been happy to come watch the team this season."
 

BULLDOG BITES
-- Samford's Cunningham is just THREE assists shy of setting the school's all-time record in the category with 434. Former Bulldog great Jerry Smith currently holds Samford's career assist record with 433. Smith achieved the historic mark in the 2006-07 season.
 
-- Samford is ranked No. 9 in the nation in free throws made this season with a total of 520.
 
-- The Bulldogs' heart-wrenching 131-127 (4OT) loss at Wofford on Feb. 9, turned out to be the longest game in Samford history. The Bulldogs' 127 points proved to be the second highest total in the 115 years of Samford hoops, trailing only a 131-point outing vs. Miss. College on Feb. 22, 1971.
 
-- Last season, Samford's Cunningham became the first player in school history to record back-to-back 125-assist seasons. He finished 2015-16 with a career-high 128 assists and an average of 3.9 pg.
 
-- Already this year, Cunningham has registered a school-record 178 assists at a break-neck pace of 6.4 assists per contest. On Feb. 4 against UNCG, Cunningham handed out four assists to reach 152 and eclipsed the previous school record of 151, which was achieved by Raijon Kelly in 2012-13.
 
'DOGS BOASTING A WELL-BALANCED ATTACK
Since Dec. 20, five Samford players are averaging double figures in scoring, and at least 10.1 points per game, while as a team, the Bulldogs are scoring 82.0 points per contest in its last 17 outings. Below please find a chart that lists Samford's scoring in its last 17 games.
     

          
PLAYER . . . . . . PPG
Demetrius Denzel-Dyson . . . . . . 17.0
Wyatt Walker . . . . . . 12.6
Alex Thompson . . . . . . 10.8
Christen Cunningham . . . . . . 10.6
Josh Sharkey . . . . . . 10.1
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Chattanooga (19-8, 10-5 SoCon) enters Wednesday's matchup with hopes of bouncing back from a 65-51 home setback against ETSU on Saturday. In the loss, the typically-explosive Mocs' offense was limited to a season-low 51 points.
 
Chattanooga's loss proved to be only its second defeat at home this season, moving the Mocs to 11-2 when playing at The McKenzie Arena.
 
On the road this season, Chattanooga owns a 7-5 overall mark, including a 4-3 total in SoCon play. The Mocs' leading scorer is senior guard Tre' McLean with an average of 13.9 points per game. He is followed closely by athletic big man Justin Tuoyo (13.0) and senior guard Greg Pryor (12.1).
 
Tuoyo, who transferred to Chattanooga from VCU three years ago, is the Mocs' top rebounder this season with an average of 6.6 per game.
 
Chattanooga head coach Matt McCall is in the midst of his second season with the program. Last year, the Mocs went 26-5 and swept the SoCon's regular season and SoCon Tournament titles.
 
THE ALL-TIME SERIES - - SAMFORD vs. CHATTANOOGA
On Wednesday, the Bulldogs will square off against Chattanooga for the 96th time in school history. Samford currently trails in the all-time series, 58-37, and is in the midst of a six-game losing streak to the Mocs. The Bulldogs' last win over Chattanooga occurred Feb. 8, 2014, 92-85 (OT).
 
Earlier this season, Samford played on the road against the Mocs on Jan. 21, and nearly pulled off the come-from-behind victory before eventually fell short by a score of 82-78 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
 
SCORING IS KEY
Since the beginning of last season, Samford has registered a 17-4 record when scoring at least 80 points. On Nov. 14, 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.
 
On Saturday, Samford played at home against a dangerous VMI squad and earned an 80-61 SoCon victory held at the Pete Hanna Center.
 
DROPPING DIMES
Cunningham, the Bulldogs' junior point guard from Georgetown, Kentucky, is ranked seventh in the nation in assists (178), 11th in assists per game (6.4) and 21st in assist/turnover ratio (2.9).
 
Additionally, Cunningham only needs three more assists to become Samford's all-time career leader in the category with 434.
 
DID YOU KNOW??
Samford's Sharkey is first cousins with 10-year NBA veteran and collegiate standout at St. Joe's Jameer Nelson.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Wednesday's key SoCon showdown with Chattanooga, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs face The Citadel in a Senior Night matchup to be held at the Pete Hanna Center.
 
Prior to Saturday's game, Samford's lone senior, Terry Brutus, will be honored with a special Senior Night presentation. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the event.
 
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.

Tickets  |  Video (ESPN3)  |  Audio  |  Live Stats  |  Game Notes