Jan. 31, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will host the Tennessee State Tigers in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup Thursday at 7 p.m., in Seibert Hall. The Bulldogs have won four straight home games against Tennessee State.

The OVC contest can be heard locally on the radio at WVSU 91.1 FM and via the internet at www.al.com/wvsu.

Samford (12-10, 9-4 OVC) heads into Thursday's matchup looking to put an end to its current two-game losing streak. The Bulldogs are tied with Tennessee Tech for second place in the conference standings and are two-and-a-half games behind Austin Peay for the top spot in the league.

With eight games left in its OVC schedule, Samford will close out the season with five home conference games and only three remaining road contests, including a 5 p.m., matchup against Eastern Illinois on Saturday.

Samford's game at Eastern Illinois will be broadcast to a nationally-televised audience on ESPN2.

Tennessee State (10-12, 6-6 OVC) heads into Thursday's contest with a two-game losing streak. The Tigers have dropped their previous two matchups against Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State.

The Tigers have struggled on the road this season and are 2-10 when playing away from home. Tennessee State is tied for fifth place in the OVC and is being led in scoring by Ladarious Weaver's 14 points per game. Weaver, the Tigers' junior guard from Atlanta, Ga., scored a game-high 23 points against Samford on Jan. 11.

Prior to its current two-game losing skid, Tennessee State had been victorious in five of its previous six contests, including four OVC wins.

Samford has won four-straight games versus Tennessee State in Seibert Hall.

The Bulldogs' last home defeat against Tennessee State was a 72-60 loss on Nov. 28, 1986. Samford holds a 9-6 lead in its all-time series against the Tigers. Samford owns an impressive 6-1 record at home versus Tennessee State.

Earlier this season, the teams faced off in Nashville, Tenn., and the Tigers earned a 59-41 victory at home.

Samford's Travis Peterson has started in 50-consecutive games, dating back to Nov. 26, 2005. Following the Bulldogs' 68-41 loss at sixth-ranked Oklahoma last season, Peterson returned to the team's starting lineup against Bryan College and has not missed a start since. He has started in all 22 games this season and is averaging 11.5 points per game.

The Bulldogs are currently ranked among the top-10 teams in the nation in two statistical categories and are ranked in the top-50 in an additional two categories.

This week, Samford is listed as the No. 4 team in the country in fewest turnovers per game (10.6) and is also No. 8 in fewest personal fouls per game (14.5). Additionally, the Bulldogs are ranked No. 41 in scoring defense (61.3 ppg) and No.43 in 3-point field goals per game (8.0).

Samford's Randall Gulina is ranked 64th in the nation in points per game (18.1) and 76th in 3-point field-goal percentage (38.9). He is also the OVC's second-ranked scorer.

Following its matchup against Tennessee State on Thursday, Samford will play its fifth game in 10 days Saturday as the Bulldogs square off against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at 5 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.