Samford Dominates OT to Defeat ETSU

Bulldogs score first 13 points of extra period to win 82-72 in SoCon matchup

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Samford Bulldogs scored the first 13 points of overtime to defeat the East Tennessee State Buccaneers 82-72 in a Southern Conference matchup played in front of a season-high crowd at Freedom Hall Civic Center. Samford hit 16 straight free throws near the end of regulation and overtime, while their zone defense frustrated ETSU on the other end.

Why it matters

The win was the fifth straight for Samford, who improved to 15-12 overall and 8-6 in the SoCon. ETSU, who led the conference at 11-3, saw their four-game win streak snapped despite a career-high 28 points from Brian Taylor II.

The details

Samford's 6-foot-9 post Dylan Faulkner led the Bulldogs with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Jadin Booth hit a key 3-pointer to tie the game late in regulation. ETSU coach Brooks Savage felt his team was beaten to the "50/50 balls" that they had been getting, which was the difference in the game.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
  • It was the largest home crowd of the season at 5,148 and was nationally televised on ESPNU.

The players

Dylan Faulkner

Samford's 6-foot-9 post player who led the Bulldogs with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Jadin Booth

Samford player who hit a key 3-pointer to tie the game late in regulation.

Brian Taylor II

ETSU player who scored a game-high 28 points in the loss.

Brooks Savage

ETSU head coach who felt his team was beaten to the "50/50 balls" that they had been getting.

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What they’re saying

“It was a physical game, and they made a lot of tough plays. They beat us to the 50/50 balls that we've been accustomed to getting. That was probably the difference in the game. We've got to play better offense. There is a better offense out there than we're getting.”

— Brooks Savage, ETSU Head Coach

“He's an older player, really physical. I thought he did a great job in there, catching it where he wanted to catch it. He does a good job finishing on the pick and roll. We didn't cover that a few times as well as we've liked to. He'd probably been player of the year in their league at Lipscomb last year if he didn't get hurt.”

— Brooks Savage, ETSU Head Coach

What’s next

ETSU has three of its final regular season games on the road, starting at Furman on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Samford will try to keep its momentum going at The Citadel.

The takeaway

This hard-fought overtime battle between Southern Conference contenders ETSU and Samford highlighted the physical, competitive nature of the league race, with Samford's ability to win the 50/50 plays and hit free throws down the stretch proving to be the difference.