BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford men's basketball team returned to the Pete Hanna Center tonight as they hosted The Citadel. The Samford Bulldogs controlled the contest for more than 38 minutes, never trailing, on their way to a wire-to-wire 78-64 victory. The win moves their record to 12-12 overall on the season and 5-6 in league play.
Samford quickly jumped on top of The Citadel, with an 8-2 and they never looked back. For the second game in a row, the Bulldogs had as balanced of an offensive half as they have had all season. Seven different Bulldogs had a basket in the opening 20 minutes of play, led by Kam Martin who had nine points in eight minutes off the bench. Isaiah Campbell-Finch had a strong first half, scoring eight of his 11 points early on. The Dogs were consistent on the night, shooting just 50 percent or better in both halves as they 39-32 after 20 minutes of play.
After the break, The Citadel made several pushes, trimming the margin to as little as three midway through the second half. Each time, the Bulldogs responded with poise and execution. Keaton Norris delivered a critical three-pointer with 7:38 to play, stretching the lead back to eight and halting the Bulldogs' momentum. Moments later, Dylan Faulkner finished a tough layup on a feed from Norris, pushing the lead to double digits and sealing the game's outcome. Samford's defense remained stout, holding The Citadel to 23.8 percent from deep and just three fast-break points.
Jadin Booth led the way with 15 points and shot 75 percent (3-of-4) from beyond the arc, continuing his run as one of the nation's elite scorers. Dylan Faulkner recorded his fourth-straight double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds, anchoring the interior with two blocks and two steals. Keaton Norris was great tonight running the show for the Dogs, as he added 13 points and tied his season high with eight assists, along with zero turnovers. Off the bench, Kam Martin caught fire for 14 points, including three three-pointers, fueling an 18-point contribution from the reserves. Samford finished the night shooting 51 percent overall and 45.5 percent from three, while assisting on 15 of 25 field goals and holding a 6-2 edge in steals.
Samford dominated their visitors from the three-point line and the free-throw line, as they were plus 26 in those two areas enroute to their victory.
The Bulldogs remain at the Pete Hanna Center and are back in action quickly as they host Mercer on Saturday afternoon. The Bears are 15-9 on the season and 7-4 in the SoCon. They are coming off a 79-75 defeat at Chattanooga tonight.
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