Sports Editor

Flashback to Jan. 13th, 2001.

The Samford Bulldogs hit an astounding 23-of-39 3-point attempts, blowing the Troy State Trojans out of Seibert Hall in Birmingham by the final score of 94-47.

It was just one of two losses to in-state schools that week by the Trojans. Before the Samford debacle, TSU had fallen to traditional rival Jacksonville State, also on the road. Those two losses, to both the Gamecocks and Bulldogs, snapped a modest four-game win streak by Troy State and brought to a halt any momentum the Trojans had at that time for making a run for the Trans America Athletic Conference.

Following that two game road trip, Georgia State was atop the TAAC standings and Samford was a close second.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

The Bulldogs come into tonight’s game with a 14-11 record overall and 11-5 in TAAC play, behind the Panthers of GSU who have already clinched the conference title, after sharing it with the Trojans last season.

Georgia State plays host for the conference tournament on Feb. 28th through March 3rd in Atlanta and claims the No. 1 seed by virtue of capturing the regular season title.

That leaves four teams, (Samford, Stetson, TSU, Jacksonville), to fight it out for second and third place. Stetson is a game ahead of the Trojans with an 11-6 TAAC record, while Jacksonville is a game behind at 10-7.

Following tonight’s game, the Trojans still have a regular season match-up with the Gamecocks on Saturday.

But first comes Samford.

The Bulldogs’ Cornell Felton and Tyson Dorsey are No. 2 and No. 4 in 3-point field goal percentage, while two other Samford players, Marc Salyers and Derrick Jones, are also listed among the top fifteen 3-point field goal shooters in the conference. It was Dorsey who came off the bench and scorched the Trojans in the earlier game, hitting 9-of-7 from beyond the arc and finishing with 21 points.

The Bulldogs also lead the league in field goal as well as 3-point field goal percentage.

Tipoff for tonight’s game at Trojan Arena is 7:30 p.m.