Posted by Philip Poole on 2006-02-22

Both the Samford University men's and women's basketball teams will host first round games Feb. 28 in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. The Samford women's team will play rival Jacksonville State University at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game against Tennessee State University at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale in the Seibert Hall ticket office or by calling (205) 726-2050. Tickets are $10 for adults and $4 for students and children. Tickets cover both games of the Feb. 28 the doubleheader games. The conference tournament is not covered in season ticket packages.

"All ticket revenue for the conference tournament is handled by the OVC," said Vaughan Boyd Lyons, Samford's ticket manager. "But, we really need the support of our fans for these games."

The ticket office is open between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets also will be on sale at Seibert Hall before both games. Additional information is available at www.samfordsports.com.

Winners of first round games advance to the tournament semifinals on March 3 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville. Should Samford be represented in the semifinals, the Samford Alumni Association will host a hospitality suite at the Gaylord Center beginning at 11 a.m. on March 3.

Tickets for the tournament semifinals and finals can be purchased at the Samford ticket office.

The Samford men clinched second place in the conference with a win last Saturday at Eastern Illinois University. Tennessee State is seeded seventh in the conference tournament.

With their 20th win of the season at Eastern Illinois, the Samford women's team claimed the number three seed in the tournament. JSU is seeded sixth. It was the most wins ever for the Samford women's basketball program.

"This has been a good year for Samford basketball," said Samford Athletics Director Bob Roller. "To be able to host two first round games is great for our University and especially historic since this will be the first time for our women's team to host a first round OVC game."

Both games will be broadcast on WVSU-FM, 91.1, or live via the Internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu.

Both Samford teams play this week at Southeast Missouri State University on Thursday and at Eastern Illinois University on Saturday. The women's team still has an outside shot at tying for the regular season title. The Samford men are currently in second place. Murray State University has already clinched the men's regular season title.

"This has been a good year for Samford basketball," said Samford Athletics Director Bob Roller. "To be able to host two first round games is great for our University and especially historic since this will be the first time for our women's team to host a first round OVC game."

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.