Jan. 25, 2003

Box Score

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Casey Collins scored a game-high 18 points and Samford shot a woeful 24 percent as Gardner-Webb defeated theBulldogs, 70-49, at the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center Saturday evening in Atlantic Sun Women's College basketball action. Samford dropped its fifth straight conference game while Gardner-Webb (3-13) picked up its second straight conference win to improve to 2-3 in the A-Sun.

Noot Pittman led Samford (4-12, 0-5 A-Sun) with 12 points. Katie Gravel scored 11 points and Shameka Smith added 10 points for Gardner-Webb. Gardner-Webb shot 52percent from the field and forced Samford into 19 turnovers.

Samford came within 26-25 on Che' Walker's lay-up at the start of the second half, but that was as close as the Bulldogs would get. Collins and Smith combined for Gardner-Webb's next eight points to extend the lead to 34-25 with 16:58 remaining.

A 3-pointer by Chelsee Insell cut Samford's deficit to 36-28with 13:06 left, but Gardner-Webb went on a 15-3 run extending its lead to 51-31with 9:23 left in the game. The Bulldogs shot 24 percent in the second half andwas 2-18 from 3-point range.

Pittman scored 10 first half points to pull Samford within 26-23 at halftime. Samford trailed by as many as 15 points at 21-6 with 6:34left in the first half. Walker and LaBrena Friend made free throws and CoraBeth Smith knocked down a 3-pointer during a 13-3 run pulling Samford within24-21 with 1:38 left before halftime.

Giovanni Price and Natalie McLendon each scored eight pointsfor Samford.

Samford returns home for its first of six consecutive games against A-Sun South Division teams. The Bulldogs will host Florida Atlantic Thursday at 7 p.m. at Seibert Hall.