March 4, 2006

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Despite a record-breaking 26-point performance from senior J. Robert Merritt, the Samford University basketball team dropped a 74-57 decision against the top-seeded Murray State Racers in the championship game of the 2006 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Despite the loss, Samford (20-11) will await a possible berth in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), which features the top schools not selected for the NCAA's Field of 64. The announcement will be made on Monday, March 13.

Against Murray State (24-6) on Saturday, the Bulldogs' shot 33.3 percent from the field and finished with a 30.8 mark from 3-point range. Merritt, connected on a career-high eight 3-point baskets and set the OVC's single-season record with 120 during the 2005-06 campaign.

In the performance, he shattered his own school record in the single-season category and surpassed Tennessee Tech's Josh Heard for the all-time conference mark. Heard made 112 3-point field goals during the 1999-2000 campaign.

Merritt, Samford's 6-foot-6 senior from Oklahoma City, Okla., also set an OVC record with his eight 3-point field goals. He finished 8-of-17 from beyond the arc while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds in 39 minutes of play.

"I think that aside from J. Robert's output from beyond the arc, we really didn't shoot well at all," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "Our other players weren't hitting their usual shots and we can't beat a team like Murray State without having somebody else step up."

Murray State, which was the preseason favorite to win the conference, added the 2006 OVC Tournament title to its regular-season championship on Saturday. The Racers will represent the OVC in the NCAA Tournament and will learn of its upcoming opponent on Sunday, March 12.

The Racers finished the contest with four players scoring in double figures and were led by Trey Pearson's 15 points. He finished with a 6-of-7 performance from the field and handed out three assists.

Freshman guard Tyler Holloway chipped in with 13 key points off the bench in the second half and helped Murray State rally for a 14-4 run early in the second half.

With 14:58 remaining in period No. 2, the Racers held a 44-35 advantage in the game when Merritt knocked down three-straight 3-point baskets to trim Murray State's lead to 46-44.

Merritt's shooting performance guided Samford to on 9-2 run, but Holloway answered with 11 quick points on three 3-point field goals of his own and a dribble-drive bucket over a pair of defenders to extend Murray State's lead to 57-48. He finished the game shooting 4-of-5 from the field and added a 3-of-4 performance from beyond the arc.

"We went through a mental lapse there in the second period and allowed Holloway to get open for some good looks," Tillette said. "He turned in a key performance for them and I think that was a key stretch in the game when they were able to build a lead."

From the 7:59 mark on, Samford was never able to cut its deficit any lower than eight points and was forced to foul Murray State for the last two minutes of the game.

The Racers entered the game as the second-to-last-place team in the conference in free-throw shooting percentage at 65.9 percent, but knocked down seven critical attempts from the charity stripe in the final minutes of the game to hold off Samford's comeback.

Samford's sophomore center Travis Peterson scored 15 points on Saturday and joined Merritt on the OVC All-Tournament Team. The Bulldogs' native of Glendale, Ariz., also handed out three assists and shot 7-of-15 from the floor.

The Bulldogs used a 13-point first-half performance from Peterson to take a 33-32 advantage into the intermission.

Each team shot a solid percentage from the floor in the opening period and Samford jumped out to a 15-11 lead with 15:19 remaining. The Bulldogs turned in a 46.2 percent shooting performance in the first half of play, while Murray State posted a 48-percent mark.

The Racers' Pearson, who was the OVC's Preseason Player of the Year, led Murray State with 10 first-half points. He shot a near-perfect 4-of-5 from the field and was 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

Midway through the first half, Pearson scored seven-straight points for the Racers and helped his team even the score at 20-20 with 10:02 remaining.

Samford's Merritt tallied nine points in the opening period and knocked down three of his six 3-point attempts.

"J. Robert was an outstanding player for us and we're going to definitely miss him," Tillette said. "He is by far one of the best people that I have ever coached and he is a great player as well. I'm glad that he had a great season and he deserves all of the accolades."

The Samford University basketball team finished its 2005-06 season with its best record since the 1999-2000 campaign and as the second-place team in the conference. The finish was its best in three years in the league.

On Monday, March 13, the Bulldogs will find out if their 2005-06 season is indeed over, or if they have qualified for the NIT. An announcement will be made on www.SamfordSports.com, if Samford does receive a bid to the NIT.