Samford Bulldogs and Furman Paladins collide in a pivotal Southern Conference (SoCon) matchup Wednesday night in Birmingham. Fresh off Trey Fort’s explosive 36-point performance against Wofford, Samford aims to solidify their conference standing while Furman fights to break a .500 conference record.
Samford dominates at home (12–2) with a defense limiting opponents to 43.6% shooting. However, Furman’s offense averages 76.3 points per game—3.4 above Samford’s allowed average. Can the Bulldogs’ defense contain Furman’s dynamic scorers?
Key stats to watch:
- Samford’s 46.5% field goal accuracy vs. Furman’s 41.9% defensive shooting allowance.
- Furman’s +7.4 average scoring margin—third-best in the SoCon.
- Rebound battle: Samford averages 32.6 per game; Furman grabs 34.1.
Top performers include Samford’s Rylan Jones (11.6 PPG, 5.2 APG) and Pjay Smith Jr. of Furman, averaging 16.2 points. Fort’s recent surge (12.2 PPG over 10 games) adds firepower for the Bulldogs.
“Smith and Anderson are dual threats for Furman—stopping them is non-negotiable,” said ESPN analyst Joe Smith.
With both teams 5–5 in their last 10 games, this game could dictate SoCon playoff seeding. BetMGM lists Samford as 7.5-point favorites, with an over/under of 151. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. EST at the Pete Hanna Center.