SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford men's basketball team pulled away late to take down the Samford Bulldogs on Wednesday night, 88-78, in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. With the score tied at 78 with three minutes remaining, the Terriers closed out the game with a 10-0 run.

The Terriers (13-7, 5-2) were led by a career night from Kahmare Holmes with 36 points. Holmes and Machowski pulled down four rebounds each while Vasko led the team with six assists. Brian Sumpter swatted two shots on the night.

"It is really cool to see us win where we didn't have to crank threes," said head coach Kevin Giltner. "I think that is a mature basketball team. I think that it is a team that isn't just relying on one thing."

How It Happened
Brian Sumpter opened up scoring for the Terriers for the third consecutive game with a hook shot off the pass from Nils Machowski. It took another two and a half minutes for the Terriers to make a basket, but Samford was unable to capitalize as the teams were tied, 4-4, at the first media timeout. The slow offensive start continued with neither team finding a field goal until the 14-minute mark. Kahmare Holmes went four for six in that time from the line. Samford was the team that broke the deadlock with a driving layup, followed by a three-pointer on their next possession. Jayden Tyler and Rex Stirling kicked things back off for the Terriers, making strong finishes at the rim to keep Wofford in front before the under-12-minute media timeout, 13-10.

Wofford opened things up with a 6-0 run shortly after the break, grabbing a seven-point advantage. The Bulldogs responded with an 8-0 run to snatch the lead back. Sumpter broke their streak as the teams went back and forth with scoring. Wofford held a 31-29 lead heading into the final four minutes of the half. Neither team could find what it took to pull away, but Samford was able to snag the lead before half, 41-38.

Kahmare Holmes grabbed the first bucket of the second half for the Terriers with a corner three-pointer. This made him the first Terrier to reach ten points on the night. The Bulldogs had a short 5-0 run before Machowski found a three of his own. Holmes and Machowski kept the Terriers alive with no other Terrier finding points until the 13:50-minute mark. A jump ball, called in favor of Wofford, became a crucial momentum swing as the Terriers found an 11-0 run to hold a five-point lead, 58-53.

Samford nearly grabbed the lead back after making a layup and three-pointer on consecutive possessions, tying the game back up. The game became a shootout with 27 points scored in the next five minutes; Samford had the edge, 15-12, over the stretch. Holmes found himself at the line on three straight possessions, going four for five. He continued to be the only Terrier to score over three minutes, grabbing eight points to send the teams into the final four minutes tied, 76-76.

A burst of energy gave the Terriers a five-point lead with two minutes left after clutch makes from Cayden Vasko and Holmes. With the help of three empty Bulldog possessions, Wofford extended their lead to eight points before Samford began to full-court press. Vasko went two for two from the line to ice the game, 88-78.

Inside the Numbers

• Starters: Cayden Vasko, Brian Sumpter, Chace Watley, Kahmare Holmes, Nils Machowski.
• Brian Sumpter had two blocks in the game, bringing his season tally up to 30. He is two blocks away from being within the top ten in Wofford history in blocks per season.
• Kahmare Holmes achieved a new career-high with 36 points.
• The 12 three-point attempts were the lowest this season.

Up Next
The Terriers remain at home for their match against Mercer on Saturday, January 24. Wofford is set to tip off against the Bears in Spartanburg at 1:00 p.m. Listen along on the Wofford Digital Network or watch on ESPN+ and Nexstar/CW62.
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