Dec. 19, 2000

Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - Lonnie Thomas scored 21 points and Anthony Johnson added 18 as Louisiana-Lafayette defeated Samford 76-66 in the first game of the Trend Homes Classic at Selland Arena.

Samford trailed most of the game by double digits, but Marc Salyers led a second-half comeback that put the Bulldogs down by only six with less than a minute to play. The game was highlighted by the three-point shooting of both teams, the Cajuns firing at a 54 percent clip while Samford knocked down 41 percent of their three-point attempts. Salyers and Derrick Jones led the Bulldogs with 16 points each and Chris Weaver added 12 in the loss.

"I'm very, very disappointed in our performance tonight," said Samford Head Coach Jimmy Tillette. "We didn't move on offense, we were slow to the ball on defense, and at the opening of the game we couldn't hit anything.

"Louisiana-Lafayette has a very nice team, as do the other two teams who are in the tournament. I'm just very disappointed in our team tonight."

Louisiana-Lafayette controlled the first half of play, led by Anthony Johnson's outside shooting and Lonnie Thomas on the inside. Johnson scored 13 first half points, shooting three of five from the three-point line and five of eight from the field, while Thomas was five of seven from around the basket. Samford never led in the first period, trailing by as many as 15 before heading into the half down by 13, 35-22. Derrick Jones was the high man for Samford in the first period scoring 10, while Marc Salyers was held scoreless for the first time this season. The Cajuns shot an even 50 percent from three point range at 6-of-12, while the Bulldogs converted on a third of their three-point attempts, firing 5-of-15 from three pointers but shooting only 33 percent from the field.

Both teams heated up from the arc in the second half, hitting nine consecutive three-pointers between them in a four and half minute stretch to open the second period. The Cajuns extended their lead to as many as 20 at 59-39 at the 12-minute mark of the second period, led by Orlando Butler's 11 second-half points. However, Marc Salyers led the Bulldogs with 16 second-half points, including seven of the last 13, and Samford cut the lead to six on a Tyson Dorsey three-pointer with 49 seconds remaining. Blane Harmon knocked down two free throws and Thomas added a dunk as Lafayette scored four consecutive points to close out the Bulldogs with a 76-66 first round win.

The loss sends Samford to the consolation game of the Trend Homes Classic to face Toledo at 5:30 p.m. (CDT).