GAME NOTES--SAMFORD VS. WESTERN CAROLINA (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford men's basketball team (10-4, 0-2 SoCon) will return home to host the Western Carolina Catamounts Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Pete Hanna Center. The game can be seen live on ESPN+, with Curt Bloom (PBP), Boyd Kaiser (Color) and Courtney Johnson (Sideline) calling the action. Live stats will also be available at www.SamfordSports.com.

Samford has recently instated a mask mandate. Anyone who enters a campus building must wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. 

• The Samford men's basketball team (10-4, 0-2 SoCon) will return home to host the Western Carolina Catamounts Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Pete Hanna Center. The game can be seen live on ESPN+, with Curt Bloom (PBP), Boyd Kaiser (Color) and Courtney Johnson (Sideline) calling the action. Live stats will also be available at www.SamfordSports.com. 

• Samford and Western Carolina are meeting for the 27th time, with Western Carolina holding a 14-12 series lead. The teams met once last season, with Samford earning an 82-78 win in the Pete Hanna Center.

• The Bulldogs are coming into the game off an 83-80 setback at Mercer Wednesday evening. Jermaine Marshall led Samford with a career-high 24 points with 17 of them coming in the first half. Marshall also grabbed nine rebounds in the contest. Logan Dye added 20 points in 30 minutes of action. Ques Glover had a strong second half, finishing with 23 points with 18 of them coming in the last 20 minutes.

• Samford has been led in scoring so far this season by sophomore guard Ques Glover, who ranks second in the Southern Conference with an average of 19.6 points per game. Glover leads the SoCon in free throw percentage (.881) and assists (4.4 apg.).  Jermaine Marshall ranks second in the league in rebounding, grabbing 8.9 boards per contest.

• Western Carolina has a mark of 7-7 overall and 1-0 in Southern Conference play. The Catamounts earned a 94-90 overtime win over The Citadel Wednesday night.

• Western Carolina has been led Nicholas Robinson, averaging 15.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Travion McCray averages 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Catamounts. 

• Western Carolina is currently averaging 78.0 points per game, while giving up 78.4 points per game.

• Samford is averaging 74.9 points per game while giving up 73.5 entering Saturday's home game against Western Carolina.

• Samford has a record of 5-1 in the friendly confines of the Pete Hanna Center so far this season. The Bulldogs have earned home wins over Maryville, Spring Hill, Mississippi College, Alabama A&M and Kennesaw State. Samford's lone home loss so far this season came against Belmont.

• Samford is No. 1 in the SoCon in both turnovers forced per game (16.0) and No. 2 in steals per game (8.5). The Bulldogs forced a season-high 33 turnovers versus Spring Hill.

• Samford has made a habit of winning close games, posting a record of 5-1 in games decided by three points or less.

• The Bulldogs are 8-1 when leading at halftime this season and 7-1 on the year when controlling the opening tipoff.

• Samford's bench has outscored the opposition's reserves eight times this season, leading to a 7-1 mark in those contests.

• SoCon teams combined to win six games against Power 5 conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12) teams during the non-conference portion of the 2021-22 season. The six wins is the most the league has accumulated against those conferences since also winning six games in the 2012-13 season.

• Hard work and dedication create luck on the court and entering Wednesday night's game, KenPom.com ranks Samford No. 1 in Luck with a +.257 rating. For more on the data analysis visit https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankLuck.

• Pace of Play is a key metric for the Bulldogs, as Samford averages 72.5 possessions per game. In 2020-21, Samford led the nation at 91.0 per game.

• Mr. Double-Double Jermaine Marshall (6-6, 225, So.) recorded his sixth double-double this season with 13 points and 11 boards in Samford's 75-73 win at Ole Miss. The Akron transfer has been a force on the wing for the Bulldogs, averaging 12.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

• Ques Glover (6-0, 180, So.) has made a remarkable impact on the Bulldogs so far this year, ranking No. 2 the SoCon in scoring at 19.6 points per game while leading the SoCon in assists at 4.4 per game. The Knoxville, Tenn., native, scored 23 points and dished out six assists Wednesday night at Mercer.

• Jaden Campbell (6-5, 195, Soph.) has been a major spark for the Bulldogs, averaging 10.9 points per game, ranking 24th in the Southern Conference. The Brampton, Ontario native scored a career-high 19 points versus McNeese State.

• Wesley Cardet, Jr. (6-6, 205, Fr.), one of the nation's most sought after recruits, continues to develop his game in advance of Southern Conference play. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native is averaging 8.6 points, and 4.2 rebounds per game after scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds at Alabama State. Cardet was the No. 60 ranked player in the nation and No. 13 at his position by Rivals at West Oaks.

• Jacob Tryon (6-11, 220, Sr.) has continued to be a presence down low for Samford this season. Tryon is currently tied for fourth in the Southern Conference in blocked shots per game, averaging 1.4 per contest.

 
UP NEXT

• After Saturday afternoon's home game against Western Carolina, Samford will go back on the road to play at Wofford on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The game is set for a 6 p.m. (CT) start from Spartanburg, S.C. Wofford was picked to finish fifth in the SoCon in the preseason coaches' poll and fourth in the media poll. Samford was tabbed eighth in the coaches' poll and ninth by the media.

FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS

• For the latest news and information on Samford Men's Basketball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordMBB (Twitter), and @SamfordMBB (Instagram).