Feb. 27, 2003

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TIPOFF: Friday, Feb. 28, 2003, 7:00 p.m. Municipal Auditorium; Nashville, Tenn.

AIR: The game will be televised on CSS and can be heard on WVSU 91.1-FM and the internet at www.samfordsports.com.

SAMFORD: Samford is looking for its ninth consecutive winning regular season as the Bulldogs wrap up the regular season at Belmont on Friday. Samford is 13-13 after winning three-straight and five of its last six. The Bulldogs are in a battle with Jacksonville State for second place in the Atlantic Sun North Division. Red-shirt freshman J. Robert Merritt is a strong Freshman-of-the-Year candidate. He has started 24 of 26 games, is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and has been in double-figures 12 times this season. Junior Phillip Ramelli continues to lead Samford averaging 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. He is fifth in the conference in field goal percentage at 58.3 and has connected on half his three-point shots (20-40).

BELMONT: The Bruins, champions of the A-Sun North, are led by Adam Mark and Adam Sonn who combined have won six of the 14 A-Sun player of the week honors with Sonn winning this week's award. Mark leads the team in scoring at 16.6 points per game and averages 6.7 rebounds a game. He leads the A-Sun in FG percentage at 68.2% but struggles from the free throw line at just 47%. Sonn leads the A-Sun and is second in the nation in rebounds averaging 12.3 per game and added with his 15.8 points per game he is the only player in the A-Sun that averages a double-double. The key to Belmont's success is Steve Drabyn. The deadly shooter makes it difficult to play zone against the Bruins because he makes 45% of his three-point field goals. He is a 95% free throw shooter and averages 13.1 points and 3.3 made 3-pointers per game. Brian Collins is one of three Freshman-of-the-Year candidates (J. Robert Merritt, Samford and E.J. Gordon, Stetson). Collins has started 18 games and averages 8.7 points and 3.1 rebounds a game.

INSIDE STUFF: Belmont has won four straight over the Bulldogs, and six of the last seven to take a 12-11 advantage in the overall series. Samford's last win over the Bruins came in Nashville on Dec. 11, 1999. The last four games have been decided by a total of 10 points and Belmont's last six wins in the series are by a combined 15 points.

NEXT: The Bulldogs will make their final appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. Samford has played in more A-Sun Tournaments than any other A-Sun member. The Bulldogs have a 14-17 record in 19 A-Sun Tournaments and have won championships in 1999 and 2000.