GAME NOTES--SAMFORD AT NORTH ALABAMA (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford women's basketball team (4-9) travels to Florence, Ala., to take on the North Alabama Lions (5-6) Thursday at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Benjamin Ray (PBP) and Matt Daniels (Color) calling the action.  

• Samford and North Alabama are meeting for just the third time, with Samford winning both previous meetings. The teams first played on Nov. 27, 2019, with Samford winning, 79-63 in Florence. The teams also played last season in the Pete Hanna Center, with the Bulldogs coming away with a 79-66 victory.
• Samford last played on Dec. 27 when the Bulldogs dropped an 83-47 decision at 19th-ranked LSU. Sussy Ngulefac led Samford with a career-high 18 points and a career-high eight rebounds. She was named the SoCon Player of the Week for her efforts. Andrea Cournoyer added 11 points and three assists in the loss. Samford's home game against Kennesaw State, scheduled for Wednesday, was canceled due to COVID protocols in the KSU program.
• North Alabama is coming off an 86-53 loss at Purdue on Dec. 21. Jade Moore led the Lions with 18 points in the loss. UNA also had a pair of games canceled this week due to COVID protocols in its opponents.  
• UNA is averaging 73.4 points per game, entering Thursday's contest, while giving up 71.3 points per contest.  
• UNA is led in scoring by Julia Strachan, averaging 14.4 points per game. Macey Lee scores 12.1 points per game, and she leads the Lions in rebounding, grabbing 7.8 boards per contest. Patrycja Jaworska is the team leader in assists, dishing out 4.5 assists per game.
• Andrea Cournoyer comes into Thursday night's game leading the SoCon in scoring at 17.3 points per game while also leading in steals (3.3) per game and free throw percentage (.939).
• Thursday night's game is Samford's final non-conference game of the regular season. The Bulldogs have played an incredibly tough out of conference slate, including games against Power 5 programs Iowa, Colorado, Ole Miss and LSU.
• The Bulldogs are 4-0 when scoring 75 or more points in a game so far this season.
• Samford is averaging 60.6 points per game to rank third in the SoCon. The Bulldogs are also sixth in scoring defense at 70.0 points allowed per contest. 
• The last time Samford and North Alabama met in women's basketball came on Dec. 11, 2020, with the Bulldogs coming away with a 79-66 win in the Pete Hanna Center. Andrea Cournoyer led Samford in the win with 19 points. Raven Omar had 14 points and eight assists, while Annie Ramil contributed 10 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.
• Natalie Armstrong has moved into sixth place on the Samford all-time scoring list with 1,244 points. The 6-2 center has played in 121 games for the Bulldogs having cleared 609 career rebounds and blocked 131 shots. She is fifth all-time in school history in rebounds and second in blocks. Armstrong is averaging 8.1 points per game this season, ranking 20th in the SoCon.
• Sussy Ngulefac (6-3, Fr., F) has made 66.7 percent of her shots so far this season, which currently leads the Southern Conference. The Lilburn, Ga., native, continues to grow as an inside threat for the Bulldogs, averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. She scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds at LSU, earning Southern Conference Player of the Week honors for her efforts.
• Sanaa Redmond enters the week third in the league in assists at 3.0 per game. The freshman from Philadelphia, Pa., had a career-high nine assists in the Bulldogs' win over Montevallo.
• The Bulldogs are shooting 40.7 percent from the floor to rank No. 1 in the SoCon. Samford has made 296-of-728 attempts so far this season. Sussy Ngulefac leads the way shooting 66.7 percent. 
• Shauntai Battle is averaging 7.5 points per game to rank 22nd in the SoCon. She is tied for sixth in 3-point FG made per game (1.4) as well.   
• Preseason All-SoCon selection and junior forward Annie Ramil has been a force on the boards, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, ranking ninth in the league. She turned in a season-high 16 rebounds in the win over Murray State.
• Mallory Hampton is off to a good start this season, ranking seventh in the SoCon in assists per game (2.5).
• As a team, Samford has done a good job of defending the three-point shot so far this season. The Bulldogs have limited their opponents to just 28.5 percent from beyond the arc, ranking second in the Southern Conference.
• Samford is 3-3 so far this season against in-state opponents. The Bulldogs have earned wins over Montevallo, Talladega College and UAB, and they dropped games to Jacksonville State, Troy and Alabama A&M.

 
UP NEXT

• Samford's Southern Conference opener is scheduled for Jan. 6 when the Bulldogs host Chattanooga at 6 p.m. in the Pete Hanna Center.

 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford women's basketball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordWomensBasketball (Facebook), @SamfordWBB (Instagram) and @SamfordWBB (Twitter).