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

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford men's basketball team is back out on the road as they head to the palmetto state to take on South Carolina State on Dec. 5. The game tips at 6 p.m. CST as Samford enters with a 7-2 record and on a three-game winning streak.

The Samford Bulldogs competed in a three-game MTE over the holidays that saw them defeat North Dakota State, Utah Valley, and an 86-65 victory over West Georgia in their most recent contest. The win extends the Bulldog's home-win streak to 24 games. In the game, Samford's Rylan Jones eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark. 

The Bulldogs sit 1st in the nation in scoring at 92.9 points per game, while defensively the Dogs force the 3rd most turnovers per game with 18.9 per game. The Bulldogs shooting from deep has improved as the season has gone on and now sit in the top 15 in three-point makes per game. 

Josh Holloway is coming off one of the best games of his career as he scored 13 points and recorded 6 assists. Jaden Brownell is 14th in the nation, shooting 80 percent from two-point range but also shoots 39 percent from three.

Samford made a lineup change against West Georgia looking for a defensive boost as Isaiah West made his first start with the Bulldogs and scored 6 points and recorded 5 rebounds. Coach Bucky McMillan continues to show the depth in his squad as 10 different players average double-figure minutes per game and the bench is 13th in the nation in points per game.

This is the seventh all-time meeting between the two sides with Samford leading the series 4-2. South Carolina State is 4-5 on the season and is coming off a three-point defeat at No. 22 ranked Xavier in their last game. SCSU is led by Drayton Jones who scores 11.6 points per game.  The Bulldogs also go into their bench early and often as they have 11 players that average double-digit minutes. Head coach Erik Martin is in his third season as the head coach at SCSU which was selected 5th in the MEAC Preseason Poll and had Mitchell Taylor named all second-team and Omar Croskey was named all third-team.

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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).