Dec. 30, 2002

Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. - - Cora Beth Smith scored 18 points to lead four Bulldogs in double figures as Samford ran by Morehead State, 71-58, in women's college basketball action Monday afternoon in the second round of the EKU Comfort Suites Classic. The Bulldogs improved to 3-7 while the Golden Eagles fell to 7-4.

Giovanni Price scored 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double. Noot Pittman scored 13 points and Chelsee Insell added 12 points. Travece Turner led Morehead with 17 points. Samford shot 47 percent (23-of-49) from the field including 53 percent (8-of-15) from 3-point range. The Bulldogs also shot 81 percent from the free-throw line.

Samford led 31-19 at halftime behind Price's 14 first-half points. The Lady Eagles opened the second half with a 15-8 run to pull within 39-34 with 15:12 remaining. Insell, Harris and Lindsey Harris made consecutive 3-pointers to spark a 13-5 run to put Samford back ahead 52-39 with 9:53 left in the game.

Morehead State made one last run to cut it to 54-48 on Turner's lay-up but that was as close as the Lady Eagles would get. Smith made 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch and Insell and LaBrena Friend each added a pair to make for the final margin.

The Bulldogs trailed 6-2 after two jumpers from Tiffany McCoy and a Turner lay-up. Smith made it 6-4 with a lay-up with 14:23 left in the first half and Che Walker added a free throw as Samford trailed 6-5. Pittman's two free throws gave Samford its first lead of the game 7-6 with 13:13 left.

Samford built a 19-10 lead with 6:31 left in the first half. Price's jumper capped off a 17-4 run for the Bulldogs. Morhead closed with 19-18 with 4:18 on the clock, but Samford closed out the half with a 12-1 run to take the 31-19 lead into halftme.

Williams recorded a double-double for Morehead with 10 points and 10 rebounds while Kandi Brown added 16 points. Samford's stingy defense held the Lady Eagles to 33 percent from the field including 29 percent from 3-point range. MSU shot 39 percent from the free-throw line.

Samford returns to action Saturday when the Bulldogs host NAIA Martin Methodist at 5 p.m.