BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Wofford women's basketball team outlasted the Samford Bulldogs in a hard-fought battle at Pete Hanna Center Thursday night. Paced by four double-digit scorers, the Terriers secured an 80-69 victory to remain perfect in league play at 3-0, improving to 8-9 overall. Samford drops to 7-11, 2-2 in the SoCon.
 
The win is Wofford's second-ever in Birmingham over Samford, and it's the first time the Terriers secure back-to-back road wins in the series as well.
 
"This was a great team effort," said head coach Jimmy Garrity. "The win on the road is really tough, especially against a really good Samford team."
 
The contest was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team really able to fend off the other until the very end. The affair saw 10 lead changes, and the squads tied three times.
 
Samford shot a little better overall, 45.0 percent to Wofford's 41.8 percent, and the teams were even from three-point range at 31.0 percent each. However, the Terriers gained their biggest advantage through turnovers, committing just eight while forcing 21. This led to 22 points via turnovers for Wofford and nine fast break points, while the Bulldogs could only muster six and zero, respectively. Samford outrebounded Wofford 41-32, but for the second-straight game it would not matter, even after the Terriers started the season 0-8 when outrebounded. 14 Samford fouls allowed Wofford to get to the free throw line 17 times, and the Terriers converted 15 of them for 88.2 percent.
 
"I thought we did a really great job taking care of the ball and getting steals and deflections," added Garrity. "Just eight turnovers and nine steals was great!"
 
Four Terriers scored in double figures, matching a season-high. Niyah Lutz led the team for a second consecutive game, following her career-high 25-point performance at Furman a week ago with 17 points tonight on 7-of-14 shooting and 3-of-5 from three. She added five boards and three assists, tying for the team lead with Reagan Rapert. The freshman was another double-digit scorer, tallying 16 points and four boards. She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Two others totaled 16 points, Alexis Tomlin and Helen Matthews, both on 6-of-8 shooting. Tomlin added eight rebounds to lead the team. Matthews contributed three boards of her own. Lilly Hatton posted six points and six rebounds. Jackie Carman added five points, four rebounds and three steals, and Annabelle Schultz tallied four points to round out the scoring.
 
"I thought we had great balance in our scoring," said Garrity of his four double-digit scorers. "Both individually and inside and out. We have a team that loves to share the ball."

The Terriers opened strong, with Lilly Hatton draining a three-pointer just 26 seconds into the game. Though Samford recorded a layup, Reagan Rapert drilled a triple of her own to give Wofford an early 6-2 lead. However, the Bulldogs would stay on Wofford's heels, pulling to a 7-6 lead. But Niyah Lutz and Rapert each hit jumpers to put Wofford back in front, 10-7, with six minutes remaining in the frame. Four Bulldog points put Samford back in front, but Wofford regained the lead with an Annabelle Schultz bucket. Helen Matthews hit a trey to extend the lead. The squads traded points, and Lilly Hatton hit from distance to extend the Terrier lead to 20-13 after one.
 
Niyah Lutz immediately drilled a triple to begin the second quarter, putting Wofford up by 10. After Samford cut the deficit in half, Reagan Rapert added a three to keep pace and keep the Terriers in front. Another Bulldog run brought them within three at the 6:30 mark, but a six-point Wofford run brought the lead back up to nine. Helen Matthews bookended the run with buckets, and Jackie Carman added a pair of free throws in between. Samford added a three, and though Rapert scored, the Bulldogs contributed another triple to keep it close. Alexis Tomlin secured back-to-back buckets to pull Wofford back out to nine ahead, but Samford erased those points with two scores of its own before halftime. Wofford's lead stood at 38-33 at the break.
 
The teams were trading blows to begin the second half, before Samford pulled to within one point at the 6:45 mark. Alexis Tomlin and Niyah Lutz knocked down consecutive buckets to pull back out, but a Bulldog three kept it close. Then, Samford evened the contest with a layup at 4:25. The squads traded a pair of free throws each before Samford hit a three to go up with 2:56 left. Annabelle Schultz hit a jumper that was matched by Samford, but Alexis Tomlin brought the Terriers within one again with a layup. Tomlin then converted a pair of free throws to give Wofford the lead again. Samford then went back up by one, but Helen Matthews hit a shot at the buzzer to put Wofford back in front at the end of the third quarter, 56-55.
 
Samford opened the final frame by regaining the lead, but Alexis Tomlin snagged it right back with a bucket. Helen Matthews drained a triple to get Wofford ahead by four. The duo scored once more each, giving the Terriers a seven-point advantage at the 6:34 mark. The Bulldogs kept nipping at Wofford's heels, hitting a three-pointer to pull within three points at 4:37, but Niyah Lutz drained one of her own to nix that momentum. Samford's ensuing layup was rendered null by Tomlin's own, and Lutz drained yet another three with 1:18 left that would prove to be the dagger. The Bulldogs entered desperation mode, and Reagan Rapert would be the recipient of the fouls, hitting all six of her opportunities to ice the game. Samford's three in the final seconds was just for pride and would be for naught, as Wofford held on for the 80-69 triumph.
 
"We face another tough and well-coached team in Mercer on Saturday," said Garrity of Wofford's upcoming game. "It's going to take our best effort to win."
 
The Terriers conclude their road trip on Saturday, Jan. 22 with a matchup against the Mercer Bears. Tipoff in Macon, Ga. is set for 2:30 p.m. Wofford then returns home to Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium to host Chattanooga on Thursday, Jan. 27. Tipoff against the Mocs is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.