Samford 57, Tennessee Wesleyan 54

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The Samford University basketball team opened its home schedule with a 57-54 victory against Tennessee Wesleyan on Monday as the Bulldogs used double-figure scoring from Josh Bedwell, Jeffrey Merritt and Drew Windler to register their first win of the 2010-11 campaign at the Pete Hanna Center.

"I thought we played our tails off tonight," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "If we would have played this hard against Youngstown State on Friday then we would have won that game, so this was a step forward for us. Tennessee Wesleyan did a good job with a match-up zone and we haven't spent one minute of work on that yet. They played hard and made some great shots down the stretch."

In the victory, Samford (1-1) led by as many as 14 points, but Tennessee Wesleyan (3-2) fought back to tied the score at 46-46 with 2:33 remaining in the game. From that point on, Samford's Bedwell drained a key 3-point basket, Merritt scored on a driving layup and Gaby Bermudez knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Bulldogs a 53-46 lead with 35 seconds to play.

Tennessee Wesleyan's E'Jay Ward scored eight points in the final half-minute to close the gap to 57-54 at game's end.

Samford was led in scoring by Bedwell's 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. All of his field goals came from beyond the arc as he also knocked down a pair of free throws and grabbed four rebounds.

Merritt, the Bulldogs' junior from Oklahoma City, Okla., tallied his second straight double-double Monday. After compiling career-highs in 19 points and 11 rebounds at Youngstown State on Friday, Merritt finished with 13 points and a new career-high 12 rebounds against Tennessee Wesleyan. Six of his 12 rebounds came on the offensive end of the court.

Samford's third player scoring in double figures Monday was Windler who tallied 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks in 21 minutes of game action. In his first career start, the Bulldogs' redshirt freshman from South Milwaukee, Wis., finished 4-for-6 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

"We're still trying to find the right combination of guys out there," said Tillette. "The lineup is fluid, the lineup is liquid and the lineup is impermanent. As it was, Josh Davis is a senior and he didn't start tonight, so we're still working on finding the right group of players to have out there at the same time."

Josh Davis, the Bulldogs' senior from Lubbock, Texas, had his consecutive starting streak snapped at 72 games Monday. The last time Davis wasn't listed in the starting lineup was Jan. 31, 2008, in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup at Tennessee State. He finished Samford's contest against Tennessee Wesleyan with an 0-for-3 performance from the field with all of his attempts coming from 3-point range.

As a team, Samford shot 40 percent from 3-point range (12-of-30), but was only 34.6 percent from the floor (18-of-52) and 60 percent from the free-throw line (9-of-15). Tennessee Wesleyan finished with a 33.3-percent outing from beyond the arc and a 32.8-percent mark from the field.

Tennessee Wesleyan was led in scoring by Ward's 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting. He was followed by Dylan Powers' 15 points on a stellar 5-of-8 outing from 3-point range. Matt Harper, the Bulldogs' sophomore from Etowah, Tenn., registered 10 points and six rebounds, but committed a game-high four turnovers.

At halftime, Samford held a 30-26 advantage in the game. Windler paced the Bulldogs with 12 first-half points, while Tennessee Wesleyan was led by Powers' 15 points on a perfect 5-for-5 outing from 3-point range.

Merritt went into halftime with nine points and four rebounds, all of which came on the offensive end of the court.

The Samford University basketball team will next be in action this weekend as the Bulldogs begin play in the three-day, four-team Global Sports Hoops Showcase being hosted by Auburn University. Samford will open the tournament against Auburn on Friday at 7 p.m. (CST) at the brand-new Auburn Arena.

Elon 99, College of New Jersey 68

ELON, N.C. - Freshman Jack Isenbarger made a statement - a 29-point statement - in his Alumni Gym debut, leading the Elon men's basketball team to a 99-68 victory over The College of New Jersey Lions in Elon's home opener on Monday night. Junior guard Terrance Birdette, one of three Phoenix in double figures, also netted a career-best 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Elon improved to 1-1 on the young season while TCNJ moved to 0-1 on the year.
 
After two contests in the maroon and gold, Isenbarger is averaging 25.5 points and shooting 68 percent from the field. The rookie connected on 10-of-14 from the floor against the Lions, draining 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Chris Long had a perfect night from the field, scoring 18 points on 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. He added five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Lions were led by Al Matlock's 21 points and Steven Siracusa's double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.
 
"We did a good job scoring in transition tonight, getting our guys good looks," commented Elon head coach Matt Matheny. "I feel like our guys know what shots to take in transition and tonight we were able to knock those down."
 
Elon held a decided 49-31 advantage on the glass, with freshman Lucas Troutman grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Eleven players had at least one rebound in the game. The Phoenix scored 44 points in the paint, 32 coming in the opening 20 minutes of play.
 
After two-thirds of its first-half buckets came from three-point land in the season opener at South Carolina, Elon worked the lane against the Lions, scoring 22 points in the paint to begin the game. The Phoenix opened on a 14-3 streak, hitting 7-of-8 from the floor and not attempting a long ball until its ninth shot of the contest. Elon scored 32 of its 50 first-half points in the paint.
 
Holding a 21-12 advantage at 11:35, TCNJ went on a quick 9-2 run spanning two minutes to close the gap to two, 23-21. Then the Isenbarger show began as the rookie scored Elon's next 12 points, including three consecutive triples, to put the Phoenix up 35-24 with 7:34 on the clock. The Isenbarger run sparked a 27-13 stretch to close the half and give Elon a 16-point advantage, 50-34, at the break. Isenbarger and Birdette scored all but two of the Phoenix's points during the run.
 
Elon opened the final period on a 22-9 tear that stretched the home team's lead to 30 points, 73-43, at the 12:25 mark. The Lions would never get closer than 17 and Elon allowed only two points in the final 4:51 to earn the 99-68 victory.
 
The Phoenix shot 53.7 percent (36-of-67) from the field, while holding TCNJ to only 37.5 percent (24-of-64). Elon also knocked down 11-of-23 from three-point territory - the Phoenix has hit 24 total treys in its first two contests.
 
Elon will face off against Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Wake Forest when it hosts the Demon Deacons in the Greensboro Coliseum on Saturday, November 20 at 8 p.m.

Georgia Southern 91, Carver College 83

STATESBORO, Ga. - Just a few days after Georgia Southern freshman Eric Ferguson put up 26 points in his collegiate debut, his teammate Jelani Hewitt lit up the scoreboard for 20 of his 28 points in the second half as the Eagles defeated Carver College 91-83 in Hanner Fieldhouse on Monday night. Hewitt went 7-9 in the second period, hitting three treys and adding three free throws. He led three other Eagles in double figures with senior Rory Spencer posting 18 points, Ferguson with 14 and Ben Drayton III with 12.

Spencer scored 10 of his 18 points in the first half and recorded six blocked shots on the night, tying a Georgia Southern single-game record. He also tied his own career-best with nine rebounds for the game-high total. James Barbee had 21 points for the Cougars, hitting 8-14 from the field while dishing out five assists and grabbing five steals.

"He (Jelani) played really well in the second half," said Coach Charlton "C.Y." Young. "He made some great decisions in the second half. He did a good job of attacking the paint for us and creating some opportunities. I was excited to see his growth. It was impressive that he stepped up in the moment of truth and made some plays. This freshman class is just really good."

Georgia Southern had a hard time putting away Carver, whose relentless energy kept the game close. Though the score was never tied and the Eagles never gave up the lead, the 40-36 halftime score was indicative of the Cougars' effort. The Eagles led by as many as 13 in the second half, but Carver was focused until the end, cutting the lead down to six twice within in the final minute.

"As a team, you see the mistakes we made, the things that happen because of youth and experience that shouldn't happen. We are just going to have to find patience with a very, very young group. We are getting better in terms of leadership. I was really proud of Rory and Ben, their leadership and the way they stepped up tonight. We'll see this team get better half by half. For most of these guys on the team, it's only their second collegiate game."

Hewitt and Spencer combined for 10 of the Eagles first 15 points of the game with freshman Marvin Baynhamand Tré Bussey each adding a basket. The Eagles led by 11 at the 13:05 mark, its largest margin of the first half, when Carver had a 9-2 run to pull within four points. A three pointer by Demetrius Baldwin and jumper by Marcus Fulks cut the Georgia Southern lead to an uncomfortable 19-18.

Over the next three minutes Georgia Southern added seven points off five free throws and a Ferguson dunk to take the lead back to five. Another dunk by Ferguson and field goals by Hewitt and Drayton put the Eagles up 10, 32-22, with just under six minutes to play in the half. Carver kept hanging around, though, and Eagles made only two field goals to the Cougars five to keep the Carver in the game.

Through the first seven minutes in the second half, five different Eagles scored six baskets, but the Cougars matched GSU basket for basket. A jumper by Bernard Parks and then a steal and a layup by James Barbee made the score 51-50, Georgia Southern. Hewitt's first scoring spree couldn't have been any more timely with four field goals, including a three, to put the Eagles up by five, 62-57.

Bussey and Spencer added jumpers to counter a pair of free throws by Joseph Comer and a trey by Nicholas Hood. The Georgia Southern lead went back to double digits after Drayton hit two baskets and Ferguson kept the lead at 10, 72-62, with a quick jumper at the 6:31 mark of the second half. Carver and Georgia Southern traded points with jumpers by the Cougars's Barbee, Hood and Fulks. Spencer, Ferguson and Baynham connected on free throws to make the score 77-67 before Hewitt went on his second scoring spree.

In 97 seconds, Hewitt rattled off eight points coming off a jumper, three pointer and three free throws to give the Eagles their largest lead of the night, 13 points, 85-72. Carver, however, still did not give up. A 7-0 Cougar run cut the lead to six with a minute left in the game. Carver put Drayton at the line and he converted both with 28 seconds left to play. Barbee and Hood sandwiched jumpers between dunks by Spencer and Baynham to finish out the scoring and an Eagle win.

Single-game tickets are available for Georgia Southern's next home game Thursday against Reinhardt in Hanner Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Clemson 78, Wofford 70

CLEMSON, S.C. - The Wofford men's basketball team was defeated 78-70 at Clemson on Monday evening in Littlejohn Coliseum. The Terriers were down sixteen points in the first half, but fought back at the end to make it a game late in the second half.

Wofford is 0-2 on the season and Clemson is 2-0. The Terriers were led by Noah Dahlman with a game-high 17 points. Brad Loesing added 14 points, Cameron Rundles had ten points and Tim Johnson had a team-high six rebounds. For Clemson, five Tigers scored in double-figures, led by Jerai Grant with thirteen points and he also led the team with six rebounds.

"That was one of the most incredible offensive explosions that I have seen by Clemson," said head coach Mike Young. "I thought we were playing really hard but we had some problems as we were down by 15. I told the guys that I am disappointed that we lost, but we saw something tonight. We say that emotion, energy and cohesive Wofford team that we have loved to watch play. We made progress tonight and got better tonight. Let's come back and get a little better tomorrow and head down to Charleston."

The Tigers took an early 5-0 lead, but Wofford cut it to one point three minutes into the game. Clemson went on a 6-0 run to extend the advantage and over the next seven minutes were able to push the lead to 22-8 before Brad Loesing hit a three -pointer with 11:35 on the clock. With 7:27 remaining in the first half, the Tigers held a 28-16 lead.

Wofford cut the lead to ten points at 30-20 after a shot by Cameron Rundles, but the Tigers answered with the next four points. After a put-back by Tim Johnson, the Clemson lead was 36-24 with three minutes to go in the half. Clemson had a 40-25 lead with 1:18 left, but Brad Loesing hit a three and a two in the final 45 seconds to make it a 40-30 score at the half.

To open the second half, Jamar Diggs hit a jumper for the Terriers to cut it to an eight point game, but the Tigers scored the next seven points for a 47-32 lead when Wofford called time out. A three by Kevin Giltner made it a ten-point game at 53-43 with 11:27 on the clock and another three by Giltner cut the lead to 55-46 with 9:14 left.

Clemson was able to push the lead back to 61-48 with six minutes left in the game. At the 3:43 mark, the Tigers had a 63-52 advantage. After a bucket by Noah Dahlman, a three by Cameron Rundles with 1:53 on the clock cut the lead to 67-60. It was a free throw contest in the final two minutes of the game as the Terriers were able to chip away at the lead at cut it to six points with only twenty seconds remaining. However the Tigers added two late free throws for the 78-70 final score.

Wofford shot 47.8% from the floor and were 42.9% from three. From the free throw line, the Terriers were 76.9%. Clemson was 52.0% overall and were 36.4% from behind the arc. They were 73.3% from the line. Clemson had a 29 to 25 lead on the boards and Wofford had 17 turnovers in the contest. Tim Johnson and Jamar Diggs fouled out for Wofford, while Jerai Grant and Tanner Smith fouled out for Clemson.

The Terriers will face USC Upstate on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 pm in the first round of the Charleston Classic. After completing the Charleston Classic, Wofford will open the home slate on November 24 against Air Force in Benjamin Johnson Arena.

Austin Peay 70, Chattanooga 67

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.  - The fairy tale ending turned into a nightmare in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's home opener in McKenzie Arena.  Austin Peay's Caleb Brown hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with 0.2 seconds remaining to thwart Chattanooga's (0-2) comeback bid in a 70-67 thriller.

The loss spoiled a good effort from sophomore Josh Odem The reserve paced the Mocs with 15 points to go with three assists.  He was joined in double figures by Chris Early with 11 and Ricky Taylor with 10.

Austin Peay's (0-2) Josh Terry led all scorers with 17 points, 12 coming in the second half.  Anthony Campbell added 15, all in the first half.

The Govs (2-0) led by as many as seven in the second frame, 45-38, only to see the scrappy Mocs battle back.  Consecutive layups by Omar Wattad (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Taylor shaved the advantage to three, 45-42, at 16:42. 

The Mocs tied the game at 52-all on a layup by DeAntre Jefferson with 11:08 remaining.  Jefferson's put-back at 9:45 gave Chattanooga its first lead since the mid-point of the first stanza, 54-52.

Austin Peay rattled off six straight points on three straight possessions to jump to a 58-54 lead on a Terry jumper.  But the Mocs would not roll over.

Keegan Bell hit a deep three to cut it to one, 58-57, and on UTC's next possession, a Wattad jumper put the Mocs back up 59-58 with 6:44 left.  For every Chattanooga punch, the Govs had a counter.

Terry and Tyshawn Edmondson combined to put Peay back up by four, 63-59, with five points in a 23-second stretch.  That was matched by four straight points from Early as his three from the left wing knotted the score at 63-all with 3:36 to go.

A Terry layup made it 67-64 with 2:29 left, but the defenses and pressure ratcheted up a couple of notches on both ends of the floor.  The drama hit a fever pitch when Wattad nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie it again, 67-67, with 29 seconds to play.  That set up Brown's heroics as he hit his three over a hand coming off a ball screen for the win.

Bell scored just three points, but he had a game-high eight assists and two steals.  Jefferson led the Mocs' effort on the boards with six.  Peay dominated the glass with a 44-32 advantage.  John Fraley grabbed 11 of the boards as the Govs had 18 on the offensive end, converting them for 16 points.

Odem's 15 points keyed a strong effort by the Mocs' bench.  Chattanooga's reserves scored 30 compared to 17 by their counterparts from Clarksville. In a game that featured 12 lead changes and seven ties, it came down to who had the ball last.

There is no rest for Chattanooga as it travels to Kennesaw State Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. (E.S.T.), meeting at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Ga.