GAME NOTES: The Samford Bulldogs are set for an Ohio Valley Conference battle tonight, as they travel to Morehead State to take on the Eagles at Johnson Arena. Samford has lost two in a row, and three of its last five overall, coming into tonight's matchup with a 7-9 ledger. The Bulldogs' dropped a 57-47 decision against Tennessee Tech on Saturday night, a defeat that evened the club's OVC record at 4-4. As for Morehead State, it comes in riding the momentum of a modest two-game win streak, and boasts a perfect 5-0 record at Johnson Arena. MSU's most recent success came in the form of a thrilling 81-79 edging of UT-Martin on Saturday afternoon that improved the club's season record to 6-9 and evened the Eagles's OVC mark at 4-4. Samford holds a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series between these two teams.

A cold-shooting second half (.286) doomed the Bulldogs in the 10-point loss to Tennessee Tech on Sunday, as Samford led 28-26 going into the break. The Bulldogs also struggled from three-point range (4-of-18) and at the free-throw line (9-of-18). Bryan Friday scored 17 points off the bench to lead Samford in the losing effort, and Travis Peterson tallied 11 points to go with his five rebounds. Samford currently boasts three starters posting double figures per game, beginning with Peterson and his 12.4 ppg. Joe Ross Merritt follows with 12.3 ppg, and Trey Montgomery rounds out the trio with 10.1 ppg.

Leon Buchanan leads MSU this season with 12.8 ppg to go with 5.5 rpg, and he is joined in double digits by Maze Stallworth and Jamyron Steward with 12.6 and 10.9 ppg, respectively. Kenneth Faried leads the club in rebounding with 7.1 rpg, and he is adds 9.6 ppg. A lay-up by Buchanan with less than two seconds remaining lifted the MSU to the two-point victory over UT-Martin on Sunday, a game in which the Eagles shot a solid 50.8 percent from the floor. MSU forced 16 turnovers, and won the battle on the boards by a 34-30 margin. Stallworth posted a team-high 20 points to lead MSU in the win, while Buchanan added 18 points with 10 rebounds to go with his late-game heroics. Steward added 16 points and Faried also hit double-digits with 14 points to go with nine rebounds.

MSU should take this one easily, as the club is feeling good after its most recent success on the court. Factor in the home crowd and the fact that the Eagles boast four double-digit scorers, and Samford doesn't stand much of a chance.