Samford Basketball has stretched its losing streak to five straight games after two tough road losses to UCF and Louisiana, respectively.
Samford played tough against UCF, losing 80-77 in overtime. This was the second straight overtime loss for the Bulldogs after another heartbreaker to DePaul in the previous game.
Jaden Campbell has emerged as a viable scoring option for Samford, as he logged 15 points against UCF. Jermaine Marshall added 15 points as well, but it wasn’t enough against the Knights. Samford finished the game shooting 37% from the field and 32% from three. However, their free throw shooting was stellar, as they shot 83% from the charity stripe.
The contest against Louisiana, unfortunately, was fairly lopsided, as the Ragin’ Cajuns cruised to a 75-58 victory. Jaron Rillie played great, filling in for the injured Ques Glover, as the point guard had 11 points and four assists. A key to the Ragin’ Cajuns’ victory was the depth of their scoring, as four different starters scored in double figures. Furthermore, Samford struggled from the three-point line in the second half, making two of 10 shots.
A key factor for Samford’s struggles is the absence of Ques Glover, as the point guard is out with an undisclosed injury. Samford has lost a scoring threat and distributor without Glover, and that has shown on the court. Furthermore, Samford’s rigorous nonconference schedule has been as challenging as anticipated, as the Bulldogs will hopefully use their struggles now to fuel a conference play run.
Samford has a week of rest to recuperate, as they will travel to South Carolina State on Dec. 17 for their next matchup.
Sports Editor
