The men’s basketball team traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday afternoon to take on the Samford Bulldogs. The Bucs were able to narrowly escape the 9-win Bulldogs in a back-and-forth battle and win by a final score of 80-74.
Despite the close result, the Buccaneers managed to spread the ball around effectively. Four Bucs scored at least 15 points for the afternoon. Senior guard Tray Boyd III (Memphis, Tennessee) led the Bucs with 18 points, including a crucial three-point shot with 14 seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory. Boyd also collected a career-high eight rebounds.
Sophomore guard Daivien Williamson (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) collected 16 points and three assists, as well as putting up the last points on the board for the Bucs on a breakaway lay-up with only seconds remaining in the game.
Junior guard Bo Hodges (Nashville, Tennessee) had another well-rounded performance, contributing 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and tallying three steals for the afternoon.
Senior center Lucas N’Guessan (De Lier, Netherlands) gained his second career double-double that included 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. The total rebound differential proved to be the difference in the game as the Buccaneers compiled 43 total rebounds to Samford’s 26.
The Bucs have now won seven straight games and hold a 7-0 record in the month of February. The Bucs’ overall record improves to 25-4. One of the highest in the country in NCAA Division I play.
The Bucs will travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to take on the rival Wofford Terriers on Feb. 26. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. A win over the Terriers would lock in the No. 1 seed for the Bucs in the SoCon Tournament.
The Bucs’ final regular season game of the year takes place on leap day, Feb. 29, against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Freedom Hall. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
