Buckle up, hoops fans! The Samford Bulldogs (10-12, 3-6 SoCon) are heading to Cullowhee, NC, to clash with the Western Carolina Catamounts (8-12, 4-5 SoCon) this Sunday, February 1, 2026. Tip-off hits at noon (ET) in the Ramsey Center, and you can catch all the action streaming on ESPN+. This is round two for these rivals after Samford squeaked out an 82-77 thriller at home on January 7—talk about unfinished business! With Samford desperate to end a three-game slide and Western Carolina buzzing from a two-game hot streak, who will rise to the occasion in this pivotal Southern Conference battle?
Team Overviews-
Samford enters the game after a tough 78-73 road loss to Furman on January 29, where they mounted a second-half comeback but fell short despite strong interior play. The Bulldogs have struggled lately, dropping four of their last five contests, including narrow defeats to Wofford and ETSU. Offensively, they average 77.2 points per game (PPG) but have been inconsistent on defense, allowing 76.4 PPG. Their shooting efficiency sits at 43.5% from the field, with a focus on perimeter play (33.4% from three). Samford's turnover margin (+0.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7) highlight their disciplined ball movement, but they've been outrebounded in recent outings.
Western Carolina is on fire after a nail-biting 90-88 road upset over ETSU on January 29—pure drama! They've claimed three of five recently, including a monster 88-58 smackdown of VMI on January 24, where they owned the boards 47-20. The Catamounts play at warp speed, averaging 77.1 PPG but giving up 81.0—expect fireworks! They shoot 43.8% overall, crush rebounds (40.1 per game, 14.3 offensive), but those 12.6 turnovers per game, that's a vulnerability waiting to explode.
Key Players to Watch-
Samford: Jadin Booth (G, Sr.): The Bulldogs' leading scorer at 20.6 PPG, Booth exploded for 33 points in the teams' first matchup. He's efficient from deep (41.7% on 3s) and adds 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. His scoring will be crucial against WCU's porous defense.
Dylan Faulkner (F, Jr.): A transfer from Lipscomb, Faulkner averages around 17 PPG and leads in rebounds (recently 12 vs. Furman). His interior presence (1.7 blocks per game earlier in the season) could challenge WCU's bigs.
Keaton Norris (G): Provides playmaking with assists and veteran stability.
Western Carolina: Cord Stansberry (G): Tops the team at 13.6 PPG, with 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He scored 17 in the win over VMI and will need to step up from the perimeter.
Marcus Kell (F): Avers 4.6 RPG and recently dropped 18 points vs. VMI. His rebounding and scoring inside will test Samford's frontcourt.
Samuel Dada (F): Leads in rebounds at 6.9 per game and added 10 points in the VMI rout. His board work could exploit Samford's rebounding weaknesses.
Key Matchups and Storylines-
Rebounding Battle: Western Carolina's strength on the glass (40.1 RPG) could overwhelm Samford (36.3 RPG), especially if Dada and Abdulai Fanta Kabba control the offensive boards. Samford must rely on Faulkner to match that physicality.
Perimeter Shooting vs. Defense: Both teams live and die by the three, but Samford's efficiency (33.4%) edges WCU's (32.4%). Booth's hot hand could be the difference in a potential shootout.
Pace and Turnovers: Expect a high-scoring game (combined average over 154 points), but Samford's better ball security might force WCU into mistakes.
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