Dec. 5, 2002

TIPOFF: Friday Dec. 6, 2002, 8:30 p.m. Hammonds Student Center, Springfield, Mo.

SAMFORD: The Bulldogs have won three-straight and are 3-1 coming off an improbable victory at Arkansas State in which they overcame a four-point deficit with 30 seconds to play. Samford leads the Atlantic Sun in six team categories. The Bulldogs are tops in free throw percentage (82 percent), field goal percentage (52 percent), 3-pt percentage (47 percent), 3-pt percentage defense (29 percent), rebounding defense (30.8) and 3-pointers per game (12.33). Individually Tyson Dorsey is second in 3-pointers made. J. Robert Merritt is second in 3-point FG percentage and Phillip Ramelli is second in Field goal percentage.

SOUTHWEST MISSOURI STATE: The Bears are 1-2 on the young season after defeating St. Louis 72-64 in overtime and falling to North Texas and Kent State. Terrence McGee leads SMS in scoring averaging 21.3 ppg. Shelton Colwell and Monwell Randle are both in double figures averaging 17.7 and 14. 7 ppg respectively. Randle leads the team in rebounding with 10.3 boards per game. The Bears shoot 44 percent from the floor, 29 percent from long range, and 62 percent from the free throw line for the season.

INSIDE STUFF: Tonight's game is the first round of the Pizza Hut Classic hosted by SMS. Florida International and Wisconsin-Milwaukee face off in the early game. Samford has never faced SMS in basketball. The Bulldogs have faced UWM three times and lead the series 2-1. The last meeting was before most of these players were born in Milwaukee on Feb. 18, 1978. Samford won that meeting 76-62. Samford and FIU renew old TAAC Conference affairs. The Bulldogs and Panthers have not meet since FIU left the TAAC 1997. In fact the last meeting was in the '97 TAAC tournament when FIU won 90-67 on Feb. 28, 1997. FIU leads the series 8-5.

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

NEXT: Samford will play in either the championship game or the consolation game against FIU or Wisconsin Milwaukee on Saturday night. The Consolation game is at 6 p.m. with the Championship at 8:30 p.m.