GAME NOTES — SAMFORD at VMI (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford men’s basketball team hits the road in Southern Conference play as they take on VMI on Thursday night with just two games remaining in league play. The Bulldogs look to finish off a season sweep of the Keydets as they enter with a 21-8 record and are 11-5 in conference play while VMI is 13-16 overall and 7-9 in SoCon play.
The Samford Bulldogs are coming off a 93-72 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday. Samford honored seven players on senior night against the Catamounts, Ryaln Jones, Trey Fort, Collin Holloway, Grayson Walters, Thomas Kizer, Brody Boyer, and Owen LaRocca. Trey Fort led the way against WCU with 24 points while adding 5 rebounds and 5 steals. The 93 points is the second-most the Dogs have scored in conference play this season.Â
The Bulldogs and the Keydets are meeting for the 26th time with Samford holding a 20-5 series lead and have won the last six meetings. Samford defeated VMI 81-68 when the two sides met at the Pete Hanna Center earlier this season. Jaden Brownell led the Dogs with 20 points in the victory as he went 9-of-17 from the floor.
After being a top-10 scoring team the majority of the season, the Bulldogs are down to 19th in the nation averaging 82.6 points per game. Samford remains a top-five three-point shooting team in the country, averaging 11 makes a game. Trey Fort and Jaden Brownell lead the Dogs in scoring, averaging 14.4 and 13.6 ppg. The Dogs are 7th in the country in forced turnovers per game, averaging 16.52 after forcing 28 against WCU.
With two games remaining, the Bulldogs sit two games out of first place behind Chattanooga and one game behind UNCG for second place. The Mocs and Spartans play tonight in a massive SoCon showdown and the Dogs close their season at UNCG on Saturday.
VMI enters the game with a 13-16 record overall and is 7-9 in SoCon play. The Keydets are coming off a 75-71 defeat against Furman in their last contest and have dropped two straight. VMI hasn’t defeated Samford since the 2021-22 season as head coach Andrew Wilson is in his third season at VMI. The Keydets were picked 10th in the SoCon Preseason Poll and are led offensively by Augustinas Kiudulas and Rickey Bradley Jr. who each averages over 15 points per game.
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For the latest news and information on Samford men’s basketball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordMBB (Twitter), and @SamfordMBB (Instagram).
