Saturday, November 29th, 12:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Value City Arena (19,049) -- Columbus, Ohio. Television: BTN. Home Record: Samford 3-0, OSU 2-0. Away Record: Samford 0-1, OSU 0-0. Neutral Record: Samford 0-0, OSU 0-0. Conference Record: Samford 0-0, OSU 0-0. Series Record: Ohio State leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: The Ohio State Buckeyes will conclude a season-opening three- game homestand today, as they host the Samford Bulldogs in non-league play at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes have played just two games on the young season and they have come out on top in both. After opening the season with a 70-42 victory over Delaware State, OSU was able to slip past Bowling Green, 61-57, on Monday. With the pair of victories, the Buckeyes improved to 54-2 at Value City Arena against non-conference opponents. As for Samford, it has reeled off three straight wins since kicking off its 2008-09 season with a 78-60 loss at Belmont. Each of the Bulldogs' three victories came at home, including a 57-50 triumph over Lipscomb on Monday. Samford and OSU have clashed just once before on the hardwood, with the Buckeyes claiming an 80-63 victory in 2003.

The Bulldogs got the job done behind stout defense, as they forced 20 turnovers and held Lipscomb to a dismal 27.3 percent shooting effort from the floor in a seven-point win on Monday. Samford hit on 41.3 percent of its field goal tries and outscored Lipscomb in the paint, 26-12. Bryan Friday led the charge with 20 points and five boards, while Josh Davis added 11 points and three steals. Josh Bedwell however, was held scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting from downtown and that was surprising considering he leads the team with 11.5 ppg on the season. Davis ranks second with 11.0 ppg and he is shooting 68.2 percent from the floor. Overall, Samford have thrived on defense, limiting opposing squads to just 58.5 ppg.

The Buckeyes shot 40.0 percent from the floor and used a late 8-0 spurt to defeat Bowling Green, 61-57, on Monday. OSU also held a 14-6 edge in free- throw points and that certainly made a big difference in the game. Jon Diebler led the way with 17 points and five rebounds, a nice improvement from his nine-point effort in the season opener against Delaware State. Evan Turner, who scored eight points in the opener, had 12 points and eight rebounds against Bowling Green. David Lighty though, was held to just four points after leading the squad with 13 points in the opener.

OSU has fared well at home against non-conference foes over the years and it should be able to continue that trend against a less talented Samford club today.

Predicted Outcome

Ohio State 64, Samford 54