GAME NOTES: Samford @ Furman (2.17.21)
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Bulldogs (6-11, 2-8 SoCon) of Samford University continue their two-game road swing on Wednesday, Feb. 17 as they travel to Greenville, S.C., to face the Paladins (13-7, 7-4 SoCon) of Furman. Tipoff is set for 6 PM CST at Timmons Arena. Complete coverage is available through ESPN+.

Wednesday's game is the first this season after the series had to be rescheduled due to COVID-19 protocols earlier this month. In total, this week's matchup with Furman is the 30th all-time with the Paladins owning a 20-9 edge in the series. 

Samford has dropped four in a row after a series of injuries hit the club, including an 85-56 loss at VMI last Saturday. Jaron Rillie led Samford with 11 points and seven rebounds.  

Preston Parks, Jalen Dupree and A.J. Staton-McCray added eight points each for Samford. VMI was led by Sean Conway with 22 points.

Furman is 2-2 in its last four games including a 88-70 bounce-back win over Western Carolina on Saturday. Noah Gurley and Jalen Slawson scored 16 points each to lead the Paladins while Xavier Cork led WCU with 15.

Mike Bothwell, a 6-3 junior guard from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, enters this week's game with Samford averaging a team-leading 15.8 points per game. 

Senior forward Clay Mounce, a 6-7 forward from Elkin, N.C., is right ion Bothwell's heels, averaging 15.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

The Paladins are averaging 80.3 points per game to rank third overall in the SoCon.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

• Freshman point guard Jaron Rillie, who scored a career-high 18 points at Mercer on Feb. 8, has taken on a larger role within the Bulldogs' offense, averaging 4.9 points and 2.8 assists per game. The Santa Barbara, Calif., native is averaging 12.0 points per game in his last three starts including an 11 point outing at VMI last Saturday.
• A.J. Staton-McCray, a 6-5 freshman from Charlotte, N.C., continues to be one of the most productive newcomers in the SoCon, averaging 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds a game. He scored a career-high 23 points, making 7-of-8 shots from the floor and 5-of-6 from three-point range, in Samford's 133-84 win over Belhaven.  
• Junior forward Logan Dye, a 6-8 forward from Haleyville, Ala., is averaging 9.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game coming into the game with Furman. He scored a career-high 21 points in the season-opener versus Alabama A&M. Dye finished with 11 points and six rebounds in Monday's win over Western Carolina. He added 13 points and three rebounds on versus Chattanooga.  
• Jalen Dupree, a 6-8 senior forward from Cordova, Tenn., had found his stride after an early injury delayed his start to the year. Dupree is averaging 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He turned in eight points in Saturday's loss at VMI.  
• Sharp-shooting guard Triston Chambers has topped the 600 career point plateau this year with 632. The sharp-shooting guard is second on the team with 22 made 3-pointers. The Cold Springs, Ala., native, is averaging 5.2 points per game. He posted a season-best 21 points earlier this year versus Belhaven.   
• Richardson Maitre a 6-3 senior point guard from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has started all 13 games for the Bulldogs since transferring from Florida Atlantic. The speedy guard is averaging 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for Samford. Maitre had 12 points and three assists in SU's last outing versus UNCG.
• Senior Preston Parks , who scored a career best 17 points with four rebounds at Mercer on Feb. 8, started the season a little slowly, but has turned it on of late. The Greenville, S.C., native, scored 13 points at Wofford after a then career-high 15 versus VMI. He is averaging 7.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. After his eight point performance versus UNCG, Parks topped the 1,000 career point plateau across his time at The Citadel, Tennessee-Martin and Samford.  
• Jacob Tryon, a 6-11 senior center from Temecula, Calif., is averaging 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs. Tryon had eight points and a pair of boards in Monday's showdown with Mercer.
• Marcellus Vail, a 6-2 freshman from Shelbyville, Ky., scored a career-high eight points in last Wednesday's 77-70 overtime loss to Mercer.
• Samford enters Wednesday's contest with Furman averaging 78.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the SoCon.
• The Bulldogs are holding opponents to 43.1 percent from the field. Samford currently ranks fifth in FG percentage defense in the SoCon.
• Samford has been tenacious on the glass this season, averaging 39.8 rebounds per game, ranking No. 1 in the Southern Conference
• The Bulldogs are sharing the wealth, averaging g 15.8 assists per game to rank fourth in the league. 
• Samford's success this season has been fueled by the offensive production of its non-starters, who have outscored the opposition 614-277. In a 98-73 win over Covenant, the Bulldogs bench outscored the Scots, 48-21, and in a 96-83 win at Belmont, SU held a dominating 64-4 edge in bench scoring. In Saturday's heartbreaking loss at Georgia, the Bulldogs bench outscored UGA 44-19. In Saturday's win at Kennesaw State, the Bulldog bench dominated the scoring, 37-7. SU had it's largest bench scoring margin of the season, 94-21, in a 133-84 win over Belhaven. 
• Arguably one of the nation's most distinct brands of basketball, #BuckyBall, has come to Samford with new head coach Bucky McMillan. The former standout at Birmingham Southern won 332 games and five Alabama state championships in 13 seasons as head coach at Mountain Brook High School. The up-tempo, in your face style of play became a staple in Birmingham, as MBHS transformed into a national power. McMillan has been named "Coach of the Year" 12 times in his career, including 2019 USA Today National Coach of the Year.