The Eastern Kentucky Colonels secured their first spot in the OVC Final Four since 1995 on Tuesday night with an 81-61 win over visiting Samford.
The fourth-seeded Colonels used a season-high 63 percent effort from the field and a solid defensive performance to notch the victory, the third of the year over the Bulldogs. The win pushed EKU's record to 14-14, giving the team its highest number of wins since the 1992-93 squad posted a 15-12 final ledger.
Samford's season came to a close with a 12-16 record.
The Colonels seemed to save the best for the last game. Sophomore guard Matt Witt recorded perhaps his finest game of the year, netting 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting – including 4-of-9 from three-point range – while dishing out seven assists and committing only two turnovers.
Also with a stellar performance was senior forward Jon Bentley, playing in his final game in McBrayer Arena. Bentley scored 22 points on a 9-of-11 shooting night, solidifying his place atop the OVC field goal percentage list.
The Colonels started hot, jumping out to a 5-0 lead behind a Witt trey and a Bentley shot from the paint. However, the Bulldogs roared to life and reeled off an 14-5 run that put them ahead 14-10.
Mike Scott put the Colonels back in front 20-17 after a steal and fast break layup, and his defensive effort seemed to ignite his squad. Samford would knot the score at 21 after a Josh Hare bucket, but the Colonels went on a 12-0 spurt that put them ahead 35-23 with 2:57 remaining.
After holding to a 39-27 lead at the break, the Colonels broke hard out of the gate in the second half. With 16:17 left, Witt put the margin at 17, and EKU seemed to be cruising in for the win, but the Bulldogs had other plans.
A 15-4 Samford run cut the lead to 54-46 and seemed to have EKU reeling, but Witt again came up with a big shot for the Colonels.
He drained a trey with 7:53 left, putting the Colonels back in front by nine. From there, Samford could get the lead no lower that that. EKU would go on to build the lead back to as many as 23 before settling in for the 20-point final advantage.
Bentley credited his coaches and teammates for helping him have a big night against the Bulldogs.
"We talked this week about how I needed to get the ball and make quick moves in the post and I was able to do that. When I do that, I feel very confident that I am going to make shots," he said.
Head Coach Travis Ford had been asked all week about the challenge of trying to beat a team for the third time in one season.
"I knew it was a concern," Ford said. "But you can't put too much emphasis on it because it's a new situation. It's March and it's a tournament game, so it was a different situation altogether."
The win pits the Colonels against the top-seeded Austin Peay Governors at 7 PM Friday night in Nashville. This year's tournament will be held at the Municipal Auditorium.
Also, tickets for the event are on sale in the EKU ticket office in Alumni Coliseum. The tickets are $18 per two-game session or $32 for all three sessions. Students may purchase a ticket for $5 with a valid ID. Eastern Kentucky will sell tickets through the end of business on Wednesday before sending all unsold tickets back to the Nashville box office. However, any Colonel or Lady Colonel fan may purchase tickets in the EKU section in Nashville.
