GAME NOTES--SAMFORD VS SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford men's basketball team will continue its homestand by playing host to the South Carolina State Bulldogs Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
Friday night's game will mark the sixth meeting between Samford and South Carolina State, with Samford holding a 3-2 series lead. The teams met last season, with South Carolina taking a 62-61 home court win.
 
Samford enters the game with a mark of 1-2 on the young season. The Bulldogs played their home opener Tuesday night, earning a 96-52 win over Mississippi College in the Pete Hanna Center. Individually for Samford in the win, Achor Achor led the way with 17 points, making 8-of-13 shots from the floor. Jermaine Marshall had 14 points, while Garrett Hicks added 10 points. Paulie Stramaglia, seeing his first regular-season action in a Samford uniform, had seven rebounds, sharing the team lead with Riley Allenspach.
 
So far this season, Samford has been led by Marshall, averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Achor is scoring 9.7 points and grabbing 5.0 boards per contest. Junior A.J. Staton-McCray is averaging 8.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Samford head coach Bucky McMillan is in his fourth season in charge of the program. Last season, he led Samford to a share of its first Southern Conference regular-season title.
 
Following Friday night's game, Samford will remain at home to play host to three games next week. The Bulldogs will host Alabama State Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Merrimack Friday at 3 p.m. and North Carolina A&T Saturday at 2 p.m. 
 
The South Carolina State Bulldogs enter Friday night's game with a record of 2-1 on the young season. South Carolina State opened the season with a 65-57 win over Voorhees College on Nov. 6. The team then dropped a 96-52 decision at South Florida on Nov. 9. Most recently, South Carolina State earned an 87-77 win over North Florida on Nov. 13.
 
Mitchel Taylor has led South Carolina State so far this season, averaging 13.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Omar Croskey averages 12.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Davion Everett leads South Carolina State in rebounding, grabbing 9.7 boards per contest. South Carolina State head coach Erik Martin is in his second season in charge of the program. Martin, who spent 20 seasons as a collegiate assistant coach prior to landing his current job, has a record of 7-27 in his time in charge of the program.
 
Friday night's game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start from the Pete Hanna Center. Tickets for the game can be purchased at the following link: PURCHASE TICKETS. The game can also be seen live on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available online. For links to follow all of Samford's games this season, click on the following link: 2023-24 SCHEDULE.
 
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).