Men’s Basketball Faces Midweek Contest at Belmont Wednesday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Men's Basketball team will play the contest game of its five-game road stretch on Wednesday, Dec. 21 against the Belmont Bruins in Nashville, Tenn.

Tip-off from The Music City is set for 6:30 p.m. with the contest airing live on ESPN+.

Wednesday's match-up is the 31st meeting between Belmont and Samford, with the Bruins holding an 18-12 series advantage. The series dates all the way back to the 1952-53 season and features a pair of 100-point performances from the Bulldogs. Samford tallied the second-most points in program history in a 112-62 win over the Bruins on Jan. 22, 1962, and notched a 100-83 victory against them on Dec. 16, 1969.

The Bulldogs' most recent trip to Nashville resulted in a 96-83 victory over the Bruins on Dec. 5 of the 2020-21 season. Current Bulldogs A.J. Staton-McCray (16) and Logan Dye (11) both registered double-digit points and six rebounds each in the road victory over the Bruins.

Samford is off to a 6-6 start through 12 games, including a mark of 5-2 at home. The Bulldogs are averaging 81 points, 39.6 rebounds, a 44 percent field-goal efficiency, and a +10.7-scoring margin.

The Bulldogs fell 62-61 at South Carolina State their last time out on Saturday. Achor Achor logged his first double-double as a Bulldog with a 14-point, 10-rebound effort while Dye added 16 points and six boards.

Samford comes into the week averaging 75.6 points, 38.8 rebounds, and a field-goal efficiency of 41.2 percent in away games this season.

Dye is currently averaging a team-high 12 points and 5.6 rebounds in road contests this season. Achor is also averaging a team-best 5.6 boards per contest in away games while ranking third in scoring at 10.8 points per contest.

In their most recent contest, the Belmont Bruins (7-5) knocked off SoCon opponent Chattanooga 83-79 in overtime on Dec. 18 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Keishawn Davidson posted a team-high 23 points in the win while Tyson Cade and Drew Friberg both added 17 points each.

Ben Sheppard comes in as the Bruins' leading scorer, averaging 19.3 points per contest. Cade (13.8 PPG) and Friberg (13.5 PPG) are both also averaging double figures in scoring this season.

Casey Alexander is in his fourth season as head coach at Belmont. Alexander's first three seasons at the helm saw him post 77 victories, which rank fifth nationally - behind only Gonzaga, Kansas, Houston, and Baylor.

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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).

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Players Mentioned

#22 Logan Dye: F; 6' 9"; Senior

#5 A.J. Staton-McCray: G; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#14 Achor Achor: F; 6' 9"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#22 Logan Dye
: 6' 9"; Senior
: F

#5 A.J. Staton-McCray
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: G

#14 Achor Achor
: 6' 9"; Sophomore
: F

Samford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

#22 Logan Dye

#5 A.J. Staton-McCray

#14 Achor Achor

Players Mentioned

#22 Logan Dye

#5 A.J. Staton-McCray

#14 Achor Achor