BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum before conference play begins will meet Thursday when the Lipscomb Bisons visit the Samford Bulldogs in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup at the Pete Hanna Center.

Lipscomb (3-7) enters on a four-day break following a tough 88-45 road loss to Purdue on Dec. 11. The Bisons have struggled offensively in recent defeats, failing to reach 61 points in three of their last four losses. Guard McKayla Miller has been a consistent bright spot, averaging 11.2 points over her last five games, including a 14-point effort in a narrow 63-60 loss to Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 4.

Samford (5-8) snapped a three-game skid with a 74-67 victory at South Carolina Upstate on Dec. 14. The win was fueled by a breakout performance from guard Kaylee Yarbrough, who exploded for a career-high 29 points. Yarbrough has been on a scoring tear, averaging 20.3 points over her last three contests. Her offensive surge provides a critical counterpoint to a Bulldogs defense that has allowed 82 and 84 points in losses to Tennessee Tech and Alabama this season.

The matchup pits Lipscomb’s search for road consistency against a Samford team seeking to protect its home court. The Bisons are 1-5 away from Nashville this season. Samford is 3-2 at the Hanna Center, with wins over Stillman, Florida A&M and South Carolina Upstate.

Historically, this series has been tightly contested. The teams last met in the 2022-23 season, with Samford securing a 69-65 victory.

Following this game, Lipscomb opens ASUN Conference play at North Florida on Jan. 1. Samford concludes its nonconference slate with a short trip to face UAB on Dec. 22 before beginning Southern Conference action in January.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Thursday.