Feb. 27, 2008

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Samford University basketball team will begin its most critical road trip of the 2007-08 season Thursday at 7:30 p.m., as the Bulldogs face off against the Southeast Missouri Redhawks at the Show Me Center (7,000) in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

With a win, Samford (13-14, 9-9 Ohio Valley Conference) would clinch a berth in the upcoming 2008 OVC Tournament. The Bulldogs are currently tied for sixth place in the conference standings and can finish anywhere from fourth to ninth place in the league.

The top eight teams in the final OVC standings will qualify for the postseason tournament, while the top four teams will also earn the right to host first-round games.

Thursday's matchup will be the first of Samford's final two OVC games of the regular season. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will close out their conference slate with a matchup against Eastern Illinois. Samford heads into the contest having won its previous two games against Eastern Kentucky and Louisiana Tech.

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

Southeast Missouri (12-17, 7-11 OVC) heads into Thursday's contest with aspirations of ending its current six-game losing streak. The Redhawks have been defeated in 12 of their previous 13 games and have not been victorious since a thrilling 121-116 overtime win against Austin Peay on Jan. 29.

The Redhawks' defense is currently ranked last in the OVC and is allowing an average of 82.6 points per game. In their previous seven games, the Redhawks have given up an average of 90.7 points per contest.

Southeast Missouri has the second-ranked offense in the conference (76.9 ppg) and boasts four players averaging double figures in scoring. Jaycen Herring, a junior guard, leads the way with 13.3 points per game, while Brandon Foust follows at 11.6.

The Bulldogs own a 6-4 all-time record against the Redhawks, but have dropped three of the previous four games of the series.

Earlier this season, Southeast Missouri used a last-second shot to defeat Samford 63-62 in Birmingham on Dec. 18. The Bulldogs are 2-2 when playing in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and are 3-4 against the Redhawks as members of the OVC.

Samford's graduating seniors Joe Ross Merritt and Travis Peterson have both started for the Bulldogs in each of the last three seasons. Once again, Merritt and Peterson are being looked upon for leadership and guidance throughout the 2007-08 campaign.

Merritt, a 6-foot-4 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., started in 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2004-05 and has been a staple in the Bulldogs' opening lineup ever since. He has started in 96 of the 118 games of his career, including 86 of the team's previous 90 contests.

Peterson, Samford's 6-foot-10 center from Glendale, Ariz., has started in 85 of the Bulldogs' last 90 games. He has been a key member in the team's starting lineup since his sophomore year in 2005-06, and started at center in all 32 games last season.

Prior to this season, the Bulldogs' seniors combined for 157 career starts, while no one else on Samford's roster had started in a regular-season game.

Samford's Merritt has been the team's top rebounder as of late. For the Bulldogs' most versatile player, it's just another role for the talented senior to take on this season. In the Bulldogs' last six games, Merritt is averaging a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game, as compared to his previous 2.3 average on Dec. 29.

In OVC play this season, Samford's most accurate 3-point shooter has been backup center Andy King. King, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-8 freshman from Omaha, Neb., is shooting a blistering 56.3 percent from beyond the arc against conference opponents.

In Samford's version of the Princeton offense, 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 has averaged 7.9 3-point baskets per game and has connected on 34.4 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs are also averaging 10 layups per game and are shooting 59.5 percent from 2-point range.

Following Thursday's matchup at Southeast Missouri, Samford will play its final regular-season game of the 2007-08 campaign Saturday at 7 p.m., as the Bulldogs square off against the Eastern Illinois Panthers in Lantz Arena (5,300) in Charleston, Ill.

Samford Basketball Game Notes