Samford Ties School Record with 14th Straight Win
The biggest sports news in the state of Alabama, you are about to read it here first. Samford won again, making it 14 straight wins to match the school record set by the 1960-1961 team. In the biggest game of this year’s Southern Conference slate so far, Samford gets past UNCG, 79-70.
In an electric atmosphere with the Samford students back on campus, Samford found another way to win sans Jermaine Marshall. Time and time again different players continue to step up during this historic winning streak. Tonight it was Jaden Campbell with 21 points and Rylan Jones with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Achor Achor, one of the most improved players in the country, continues to dominate and show why he is a star in this conference with 22 points. The way his offensive game has improved following his first season in Homewood, has been remarkable. Through three SoCon games, Achor is averaging 20 points and providing Samford a great inside presence. He also had a great block to seal the victory.
Samford head coach Bucky McMillan told us before the season that Achor had improved tremendously and we were going to see it. Well we have definitely seen it. After the game, Samford Scoop asked McMillan what has led to Achor playing so well.
“The reason Achor is so good is because he is so coachable. He does not have all the answers, sometimes you coach players and they think they have every answer. The humility of the kid to take coaching. He is not a guy that makes excuses, he does not do that. He takes coaching, he is in the gym, he is tough, he does not complain.”
Tonight was Rylan Jones’s best as a Samford player. To almost finish with a triple double being the point guard, is incredible. Right now, Jones is seventh in the country in assist/turnover ratio, but it was his scoring that took Jones to another level tonight. It is that next man up mentality of this team that is extremely fun to watch. Samford Scoop asked him about that after the game.
“We are a team, we care about winning, it is next man up. We are really deep as Coach Bucky has stressed all year. We have 15 guys that can play and that is our mentality. Some games it is going to be somebody else and the next game it will be the next one. We are going to keep it rolling and doing it for each other”
Jones touched on what we have been saying many times on the State of the Bulldogs episodes. It is very fun to watch a team where you do not know where the next bucket is coming from. AJ Staton-McCray had a rare off night so it was Campbell and Jones who stepped up.
Freshman Riley Allenspach also played big minutes with Achor Achor battling foul trouble and had eight points.
Samford also played very well defensively in the first half holding UNCG to just a 33% clip. This is where this team takes another step. We know this team can score, but how well can they limit their opponents will be the difference between good and great.
Bucky Ball is one win away from a school record with 15 straight wins as they are back home Saturday against VMI. Then it sets up a massive showdown in Cullowhee against Western Carolina on national TV.
