|
Men's Hoops Ready for Showdown with Troy State
Feb. 20, 2002 SAMFORD (14-12, 11-7 A-Sun) vs. TROY STATE (16-9, 12-6 A-Sun) TIP: 7:00 p.m., Seibert Hall SAMFORD: A Samford win over Troy State on Thursday moves the Bulldogs closer to claiming one of the top three seeds in the upcoming Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. Samford is currently in a four-way tie for third with Jacksonville, UCF and Florida Atlantic. A win on Thursday also ties Jimmy Tillette with John Brady for the most career coaching victories at Samford (89). The Bulldogs lead the series with Troy State 16-15, taking the one-game advantage with a 68-65 win this season in Troy on Dec. 1. Samford shot 53.5 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three-point range in the Dec. 1 meeting. The Bulldogs are 10-4 all-time against the Trojans in Birmingham, and Samford has won the last four meetings in Seibert Hall. Two Bulldogs average in double figures for Samford, Chris Weaver with 13.9 ppg and Corey Green at 10.1 ppg. TSU features the third-highest scoring average of 76.2 ppg, while Samford's scoring defense is the league's best, allowing only 59.7 ppg. Additionally, the game features two of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, Samford averaging 8.3 per game and TSU 9.1. Samford has won three of its last four games and has fired better than 45 percent from the field in three of the last five contests. The Bulldogs are 8-2 at home this season. TROY STATE: The Trojans, currently second in the A-Sun, are led by Lamayn Wilson (19.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Robert Rushing (15.8 ppg, 4.16 apg). Wilson is second in scoring average in the league and Rushing is ranked sixth. TSU has lost two of its last three games and is 6-6 on the road overall and 4-4 on the road on conference play. The last TSU win in Birmingham was a 79-68 win on Dec. 9, 1974. INSIDE STUFF: Samford is 7-2 against teams ranked above it in the conference standings. In last season's game at Seibert, the Bulldogs broke the conference and school record for made three-pointers in a game, knocking down 23 of 39 in the 94-47 win. Samford Head Coach Jimmy Tillette is 4-0 against TSU in Seibert Hall. AIR: WVSU-FM 91.1, also on the internet at www.samfordsports.com NEXT: Samford hosts Mercer at 2 p.m. on Saturday, which is also Senior Day at Seibert Hall.
Complete Release in PDF Format
|
