Nov. 16, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will square off against the Spring Hill Badgers on Monday at 7 p.m., as the Bulldogs compete in their home-opening contest of the 2008-09 campaign. The matchup will be held at Samford's Pete Hanna Center (5,000).

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 (0-1) heads into Monday's game looking to rebound from a 78-60 loss to Belmont on Friday. In the season-opening defeat, the Bulldogs committed 24 costly turnovers, which led to 26 points for the Bruins. Samford was led in scoring by junior guard Trey Montgomery.

Montgomery, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-4 floor general, was 4-of-7 from the field and finished the game with three rebounds and three steals.

Also scoring in double figures for Samford was sophomore guard Josh Bedwell. The Bulldogs' sharpshooter from Hartselle, Ala., was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line and knocked down a deep 3-point basket in the first half.

Spring Hill (2-2) enters Monday's contest with a bit of momentum after the Badgers posted a 94-70 victory over Southeastern Bible College on Friday. Spring Hill is 0-2 when playing on the road. So far this season, the Badgers have dropped road decisions against Auburn-Montgomery, 75-54, and Faulkner, 74-68 OT.

Spring Hill has three players averaging double figures in scoring this season and is being led by Marcus Coleman's 18 points and four rebounds per contest. Coleman is also shooting 40 percent (14-of-35) from 3-point range.

The Bulldogs and Badgers will square off for the 28th time Monday.

Spring Hill holds a 15-12 advantage in the all-time series, but Samford has been victorious in the previous two meetings between the teams, 84-74 in 1972 and 69-65 in 1984. The series began in 1922 and the Bulldogs own an 8-3 record when playing at home in Birmingham, Ala.

Last season, Samford's starting point guard, Montgomery, proved to be one of the Bulldogs' top performers and a solidifying force on the young team.

A 6-foot-4 junior from Destrehan, La., Montgomery started in 28 of the team's 30 games last year and averaged 10 points, four rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. In his top performance of the season, he scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting in a 65-64 victory against Murray State on Dec. 20, 2007. Since 2001, there has been at least one Merritt brother listed on Samford's roster.

In 2001, J. Robert Merritt joined the Bulldogs as a freshman and went on to become the school's seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,584 points. Samford's former great was also the school's first All-American and is still the Bulldogs' leader in 3-pointers made in a career (311).

In 2003, Joe Ross Merritt came to Samford as a freshman and played three seasons with J. Robert.

Joe Ross also proved to be one of the top players in school history and finished his career as the Bulldogs' all-time leader in games played with 121. Joe Ross graduated following the 2007-08 campaign, and now there is a new Merritt to wear his No. 5 jersey.

Joining the Bulldogs this season is freshman Jeffrey Merritt. Samford's 6-foot-6 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., is a valued addition to the team and will keep the Samford-Merritt tradition alive until at least 2012.

Samford's Bedwell, who wears No. 10 for the Bulldogs, is not the second coming of LSU's "Pistol" Pete Maravich, but he does have some similarities. Both players feature the unassuming demeanor and quiet confidence of a scorer, not to mention the lights-out shooting ability.

Bedwell has already proven to be a scoring threat at the college level.

Against UT Martin last season, the Bulldogs' native of Hartselle, Ala., led all scorers with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. Bedwell also connected on six of his eight 3-point attempts. In the first half alone, he scored 18 of his team-high 20 points and was 6-of-8 from 3-point range.

Following Samford's home-opening contest against Spring Hill on Monday, the Bulldogs will next be in action Thursday at 7 p.m., as they remain at home to face the Campbellsville Tigers in the Pete Hanna Center.

Samford Basketball Game Notes