Jan. 2, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After securing its first non-conference winning record in nine seasons Tuesday, the Samford University basketball team will step back into Southern Conference play Saturday at 1 p.m. (CST), as the Bulldogs challenge the three-time defending champion Davidson Wildcats at Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C.

Fans unable to attend the matchup in person can listen live to Samford's broadcast on WVSU 91.1 FM or via the internet at www.samford.edu/groups/wvsu.

Samford (5-5, 0-1 SoCon) heads into Saturday's matchup with a full head of steam after defeating McNeese State 57-52 on the road Tuesday. With the win, the Bulldogs earned their first road victory of the 2008-09 campaign and concluded their non-conference schedule with a 5-4 record.

Samford's winning record in non-conference play marked the first time since 1999 that the Bulldogs accomplished the feat. In 1999, Samford concluded the year with a 6-5 non-conference record, including a key 76-73 victory at Tulane.

In Tuesday's win at McNeese State, Samford tied its best road shooting performance of the season and finished with a 50 percent mark from the field. The Bulldogs ended the game shooting 21-of-42 from the floor and 11-of-24 from 3-point range. Prior to the win, Samford's best road outing of the year was also a 50-percent mark against Belmont.

The Bulldogs finished the McNeese State game with three players scoring in double figures and were paced offensively by both Andy King and Josh Bedwell.

King and Bedwell tallied 14 points apiece, while Josh Davis added 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. Bedwell was also 4-of-7 from 3-point range and knocked down three of his triples in the second half. Samford's 6-foot sharpshooter scored nine of the Bulldogs' final 14 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 in the final period.

King, Samford's 6-foot-8 center from Omaha, Neb., was 4-for-8 from the field, 3-for-6 from 3-point range and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs' sophomore only played 19 minutes in the game, but finished with two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Davidson (9-2, 2-0 SoCon) enters the game with a perfect 6-0 record at home this season. The Wildcats own a 16-game home winning streak and have not been defeated at Belk Arena since a 79-73 decision against Duke on Dec. 1, 2007.

Davidson's Stephen Curry is the nation's leading scorer with an average of 29.9 points per game. The Wildcats' junior All-American is also averaging 6.9 assists per contest.

Both of Davidson's losses this season were against teams currently ranked in the top 10.

On Nov. 18, the Wildcats dropped an 82-78 contest at No. 4 Oklahoma and more recently fell to the ninth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers 76-58 on Dec. 20. The Wildcats loss against the Boilermakers at the 2008 Wooden Tradition Tournament snapped a six-game winning streak.

Saturday's matchup will be the third all-time meeting between Samford and Davidson. During the 1991-92 and 1993-94 seasons, the teams played a home-and-home series. The Wildcats won both games and own a 2-0 record. In 1992, Davidson held on for a 61-59 victory in Birmingham, Ala., and then defeated Samford 78-51 at home in 1993.

The 2008-09 season marks Samford's inaugural campaign as a member of the SoCon. For the previous five years, the Bulldogs competed in the Ohio Valley Conference and earned a 53-39 league record.

Prior to switching to the OVC, Samford was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference (previously known as the Trans America Athletic Conference) from 1989 until 2003. During its 14 seasons in the TAAC/A-Sun, the Bulldogs earned a pair of conference championships and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in both 1999 and 2000.

Samford heads into the SoCon as the newest member of the league, but already owns a pair of established rivalries with current members of the 12-team conference. The Bulldogs have squared off against the Georgia Southern Eagles 45 times in their history, and have also met the Chattanooga Mocs 76 times in school history.

Samford's all-time rivalry with Chattanooga is its fourth-longest, following long-time series' against Mercer (103), Birmingham-Southern (92) and Jacksonville State (88).

In Samford's version of the Princeton offense, Head Coach Jimmy Tillette's Bulldogs generally aim to get a back-door layup or a wide open look at a 3-point shot. So far this season, Samford is averaging 7.8 three-point baskets per game and is connecting on 35.8 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs are also averaging 10.6 layups per contest and are shooting 50.9 percent from 2-point range.

In its previous three games, Samford has connected on 11 three-point baskets in each matchup. Since Dec. 13, when the Bulldogs only made one 3-pointer at Saint Louis, they have bounced back from that performance to make 11 shots from long range in consecutive games against Louisiana Tech, Chicago State and McNeese State.

Samford's 2008-09 roster is comprised of players from eight different states. Only Bedwell (Hartselle) hails from the state of Alabama, while Curtis West, Trey Montgomery and Kaylin Johnson are from nearby Louisiana. The rest of Samford's roster is made up of players all the way from Florida (Gaby Bermudez and John Peterson) to Nebraska (King).

Louisiana and Texas are the most represented states on the team with three players each. This season, the Bulldogs' Davis, Bryan Friday and Matthew Friday all call the "Lone Star State" home. The remaining four states that Samford players call home this year are Illinois (Jim Griffin), Oklahoma (Jeffrey Merritt) and Tennessee (Peter Carroll).

Following Samford's game against Davidson on Saturday, the Bulldogs will next be in action Thursday at 5 p.m., as they return to the Pete Hanna Center for a conference matchup versus the Furman Paladins.

The game was recently moved from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m., so that fans can return home from Samford in time to watch the BCS National Championship game featuring No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 Florida.

Samford Basketball Game Notes