GAME NOTES -- SAMFORD at NEW MEXICO STATE (PDF)

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The Samford men's basketball team returns to action on the road as they face New Mexico State Friday night. The Bulldogs enter the contest with a 3-3 record, while the Aggies enter with a 3-0 mark on the season.

The Samford Bulldogs and the Aggies are meeting for the fourth time in program history, playing for the first time in 1974 and most recently since 2016. The Dogs are playing their 5th game in 10 days when they face the Aggies, while New Mexico State hasn't played since Nov. 15 when they defeated New Mexico at home. 

The Bulldogs were back in the Pete Hanna Center on Wednesday night, but dropped their first home game of the season against FGCU, 77-62. Samford had their worst shooting performance of the season, scoring a season-low 62 points and shooting 34 percent. The Dogs had made double-digit threes in every game this season, but hit 7-of-26 against the Eagles. Jadin Booth scored a game-high 27 points against FGCU and is 8th in the country in scoring at 24.2 ppg.

 Keaton Norris was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week after he averaged 17.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and one steal per game and logged 37.3 minutes per game. He leads the Southern Conference in assists per game with 6.0 apg. Starting big Dylan Faulkner is second on the team in scoring at 14.3 ppg and is leading the team with 5.8 rpg. 

Samford continues to look for a fourth option at times as Cade Norris and Isaiah Campbell-Finch each average seven points. The Bulldogs are second in the SoCon, shooting 35 percent from behind the arc. They are averaging 10.8 makes per game.

New Mexico State enters the game with a 3-0 record on the season. The Aggies are coming off a 76-68 home win against New Mexico on Nov. 15. They have wins over Adams State and New Mexico Highlands, as they have yet to play a road contest. Head coach Jason Hooten is in his third season with the Aggies, leading them to a 17-win season last year. The Aggies were picked third in the CUSA Preseason Coaches Poll and the team is led by Jemel Jones, who is scoring 20.7 points per game.

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).