Dec. 5, 2007

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford's Chika Okoli scored a career-high 17 points to lead three players in double figures, but it was not enough, as the Bulldog women's basketball team dropped a 76-63 decision to Jacksonville State in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams Wednesday night at the Pete Hanna Center.

"You have to give credit to Jacksonville State," Samford head coach Mike Morris said. "They are a good team that is well coached and they played very well. They shot the ball well, they executed well and they defended well. They came in here and absolutely took it to us."

Behind Okoli for Samford (6-3, 0-1 OVC), Savannah Hill scored 14 points and Monica Maxwell added 10 for the Bulldogs. Hill, Maxwell and Karmen Smith tied for the team lead in rebounds with five apiece. Samford shot 47.2 percent from the floor. The Bulldogs connected on 21.7 percent of their three-pointers.

Jacksonville State (4-4, 1-0 OVC) was led by Kelsey Johnikin with 14 points and eight rebounds. Eren McMichael scored 13 points, Jolie Efezokhae scored 12 points and Danielle Beneby added 10 for the Gamecocks. JSU shot 46.7 percent for the game, including 52.4 percent from three-point range.

Samford jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after a free throw by Maxwell and a layup by Taryn Towns. JSU went on a 7-2 run to take a 7-5 lead with 14:22 to go in the first half after a jumper by Zenobia Pitts.

Samford came back and took a three-point lead at 12-9 with 12:53 to go after a jumper by Smith. The Gamecocks scored the next five points to take a 14-12 lead with 11:57 to go in the half.

After a three-pointer by Okoli gave Samford a 15-14 lead, JSU went on an 11-0 run to take a 25-15 lead with 8:51 to go after a three-pointer by McMichael. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, but the Gamecocks closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a 47-32 lead into halftime.

In the first half, JSU shot 75 percent from three-point range, while Samford shot 20 percent on three-pointers.

Samford cut the JSU lead to nine at 51-42 with 14:39 to go in the game after a jumper by Hill. With Samford trailing, 53-42, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to three at 53-50 with 10:35 to go in the game after a three-pointer by Maxwell.

JSU answered Samford's run with a 9-0 run of its own to push the lead back out to 12 at 62-50 with 8:01 to play after a jumper by Efezokhae. Samford fought back to cut the lead to six at 66-60 with 2:30 to play on a layup by Towns, but that was as close as the Bulldogs could get, and Samford eventually fell by a score of 76-63.

Samford will return to action on Dec. 18, when the Bulldogs play host to Southeast Missouri. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start from the Pete Hanna Center.