BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford scored 16 straight points early in the second half to take control of the game and earn a 55-46 win over the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team Saturday afternoon in Seibert Hall. The Bulldogs (11-8, 8-2 OVC) improved to 7-0 at home this year while the Colonels (10-8, 5-5) dropped their fourth straight road contest.

Eastern Kentucky took a slim 19-17 lead into intermission and would stretch its cushion to six, 25-16, following two free throws by junior Darnell Dialls with 16:54 remaining. From there, Samford responded with a 16-0 spurt over the next six minutes to build its biggest advantage of the contest, 35-25. The Bulldogs hit 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) field goal attempts and also forced three EKU turnovers during that stretch.

A Mike Rose three-pointer at 9:08 cut the deficit to four, 36-32, but the Colonels would get no closer the rest of the way. Samford immediately responded with a three-pointer from Joe Ross Merritt to push the margin back to seven points. Eastern fought back to within five points on three different occasions only to see the Bulldogs answer with a bucket of their own each time.

Samford connected on 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from the field in the second 20 minutes after being held to 31.6 percent shooting in the first stanza. The Bulldogs' Travis Peterson led all players with a season-best 21 points and eight rebounds. Randall Gulina reached the 1,000-point plateau with 14 tallies.

Rose was the only Colonel to finish in double figures (14 points) while going 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Dialls and senior Michael Brock combined for 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Eastern Kentucky now returns home to face Tennessee State on Thursday, Jan. 25. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m.