BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Men's Basketball (11-7, 5-0 SoCon) will play host to the Chattanooga Mocs (11-7, 3-2 SoCon) in a nationally-televised Southern Conference game on ESPNU on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 5:00 p.m. (CST).
Saturday marks the fourth Southern Conference home contest for the Bulldogs this season. Samford will look to stay perfect after starting 5-0 in SoCon play for the first time since joining the league in 2008 and the first time since the 06-07 campaign when they were members of the Ohio Valley Conference
The match-up is the 108th meeting between Samford and Chattanooga, in a series that dates back to the 1925-26 season. The Mocs hold a 66-41 series advantage.
Samford split its season series with Chattanooga in 2021-22, earning an 80-72 win at home on Feb. 2, 2022. Four Bulldogs scored in double-digits in the win, led by a 15-point, 11-rebound effort from Logan Dye.
The Bulldogs sit alone atop the Southern Conference standings following a dominating 83-58 win against Wofford on Wednesday. Samford shot over 50 percent (53%) from the floor for the fourth time in five SoCon games this season, while knocking down a season-high 16 three-pointers on 39 attempts.
Samford posted 18 assists in the victory while turning the ball over only nine times.
Dye (19) and A.J. Staton-McCray (16) led the Bulldogs in scoring on Wednesday, while Jermaine Marshall (11) and Jaden Campbell (10) both also scored in double digits.
Jaron Rillie filled up the stat sheet with a seven-point, nine-assist, and six-steal effort. Achor Achor led Samford with six rebounds on the evening.
For the third-straight contest, the Bulldogs set a season-high in three's made with their 16 total treys on 39 attempts against Wofford. Samford has converted 45 threes on 100 attempts (45 %) in its last three competitions.
The Bulldogs have been the best three-point shooting team in league play so far, converting 62 of 143 attempts for an efficiency of 43 percent against SoCon teams.
Samford also has posted a league-high 50 percent (133-264) field goal efficiency in conference games. The Bulldogs have shot 50 percent or better from the floor in four of five SoCon games this season.
Staton-McCray is shooting a league-high 67 percent in SoCon games this season. He's scored 33 points and converted 12 of 16 field goals over the Bulldogs' last two games.
Dye comes into the weekend ranking second in the SoCon in scoring average in conference games at 19.6 points per game. The senior forward also ranks third in field goal percentage in SoCon games at 65 percent.
Rillie is averaging 5.2 assists per game in league play, the second-highest tally among SoCon players. Under his guidance, Samford is averaging 15.4 assists per game in conference games.
The Chattanooga Mocs knocked off Western Carolina 95-76 at home in its most recent contest on Jan. 11.
Jake Stephens has given opposing teams fits all season. The senior forward ranks sixth in the country in scoring average at 22.1 points per game and eighth in rebounding average at 10.5 boards per contest.
The Mocs are averaging 77.8 points per game in SoCon action this season while shooting 45 percent on field goals in league play.
Dan Earl enters his first season at the helm of Chattanooga following a seven-year stint as the head coach of Southern Conference foe VMI. Earl previously served as an assistant at his alma mater Penn State from 2006-11 before obtaining associate head coach responsibilities at Navy from 2011-15
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