Slow Shooting Proves Fatal for Bulldogs, Drop First Game @ Wofford 70-62

Samford lost the first of two games in Spartanburg, SC last night as it seemed that arena personnel forgot to take off the lid on the basket for the final period where the Bulldogs shot a bleh 26% from the floor and 11% from beyond the arc. For the game overall, Samford shot 18% from downtown and 46.6% from the floor in general, good for and eFG of exactly 50%. (eFG, short for effective field goal percentage, is basketball's slugging percentage where it weights 3 point makes more than 2 point baskets). The Bulldogs also didn't help themselves any as they turned the ball over 15 times, 8 of which came in the pivotal second half. Samford only shot 5 free throws whereas the Terriers got 21 free shots. I'm no mathematician, but that doesn't help Samford's chance to win.

Maybe we can write this one off to being the first road trip since classes started back here on Red Mountain? Maybe the Bulldogs got accustomed to having a decent crowd at their games and hearing the AC turn on and off threw them off? Who knows. All that matters is that Coach Kuhns and her staff get their team to have a case of short-term amnesia and play on Saturday like Thursday never happened.

However, all is not lost on the season. Mercer's series against ETSU was postponed, so Samford retains a 0.5 game advantage over the Lady Bears. A Samford win on Saturday and sweep of ETSU next Thursday and Saturday will give Samford their second straight regular season championship and the number one seed in Asheville. Plus, it would allow Samford to cut down the nets here in the Pete and not an hour South East of Atlanta, GA. Then again, we can't start picking out the scissors to cut down the nets quite yet. A Wofford sweep of both Samford and Mercer would cause this carefully constructed house of cards to collapse, so let's just focus on the upcoming game on Saturday.

Saturday's game is closed to fans, so there go any plans for a weekend road trip. ESPN+ will broadcast the game with tip off set for 1pm CT. If you don't want to fork over the $6 to the Walt Disney corporation, follow the team's twitter for game updates and stats links: @SamfordWbb.

Photo taken by Madyson Chambers