Nov. 17, 2008

Women's Basketball Game Notes In PDF Format

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford women's basketball team will travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide Tuesday evening at Coleman Coliseum.

Samford enters the game with a record of 1-0 after a 68-55 win at Jacksonville State Friday evening. Alabama is also 1-0, and the Crimson Tide opened the season with a 64-55 win over Centenary on Friday.

Samford and Alabama are meeting for the ninth time, with Alabama holding a 7-1 advantage in the series. Samford's lone win in the series came last season when the Bulldogs defeated the Crimson Tide, 48-46 in the first regular-season basketball game played in the Pete Hanna Center.

In Samford's win at Jacksonville State on Friday, Monica Maxwell led Samford with 16 points and five rebounds. Karmen Smith scored 12 points and Chika Okoli and Savannah Hill added 11 points each for the Bulldogs.

Freshman forward J'Quita Babineaux had a strong debut Friday night, scoring eight points, making 4-of-5 shots from the field and pulling down four rebounds.

Junior guard Megan Wilderotter saw her first regular-season action Friday night since Dec. 1, 2007 when she suffered a season-ending knee injury. In Friday night's game, Wilderotter played 18 minutes, scored four points and pulled down three rebounds.

Samford had a strong defensive effort in Friday night's win. The Bulldogs forced the Gamecocks into 21 turnovers in the game. JSU shot just 22.2 percent from three-point range, including an 18.2 effort in the second half.

After the first week of regular-season games, Samford ranks among the leaders in the Southern Conference in several statistical categories. The Bulldogs rank in the top five in scoring offense (3rd-68.0 ppg.), field goal percentage (3rd-.421), assists (3rd-14.0 apg.), steals (T-2nd-9.0 spg.), turnover margin (1st-+9.00) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd-+1.2).

Samford has a record of 28-35 against teams from the state of Alabama, including a 1-7 record against Alabama. Samford has also played the following Alabama teams: Alabama State (4-3), Alabama A&M (1-1), Birmingham-Southern (3-1), Jacksonville State (13-13), Troy (6-9) and UAB (0-1). Tuesday night's game is Samford's final game this season against an in-state opponent.

Samford will play six of its first nine games this season away from the Pete Hanna Center. In the stretch, the Bulldogs will play road games at Jacksonville State (Nov. 14), Alabama (Nov. 18), Lipscomb (Nov. 24), Chattanooga (Dec. 1), Wofford (Dec. 4) and Baylor (Dec. 13). The Bulldogs are currently 1-0 during that road stretch.

Tuesday night's game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Coleman Coliseum. The game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu.