Preview: Chattanooga Mocs at Samford Bulldogs

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in the Southern Conference will meet Saturday when the Samford Bulldogs host the Chattanooga Mocs at Pete Hanna Center.

Both teams enter the contest with identical 9-11 overall records, mirroring each other’s struggle for consistency in league play. The matchup is a quick rematch of a game played just two weeks prior, on Jan. 10 in Chattanooga, where the Mocs earned an 88-79 victory.

Chattanooga arrives after a heartbreaking 67-66 home loss to East Tennessee State on Wednesday. The Mocs have shown a split personality recently, following a two-game road winning streak at Western Carolina and Wofford with the narrow defeat.

A key player for the Mocs is guard Brennan Watkins, who is coming off a 19-point performance in the loss to ETSU. In the Jan. 10 win over Samford, Watkins contributed 6 points and 3 assists in 28 minutes.

Samford looks to snap a four-game skid, with all losses coming in conference play. The Bulldogs fell 88-78 at Wofford on Wednesday despite a 27-point effort from guard Jadin Booth. Booth has been a bright spot, averaging 22.6 points over his last five games. He scored 23 in the earlier loss at Chattanooga.

The Bulldogs’ last victory was an 82-77 home win over Western Carolina on Jan. 7, a game in which Booth exploded for 31 points.

For Chattanooga, finding an answer for Booth will be critical, while Samford must improve its defensive execution after allowing an average of 84.5 points during its current losing streak.

The game tips off at 3 p.m. EST Saturday as both teams aim to reach .500 and improve their positioning in the Southern Conference standings.