BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Spring Hill College men's basketball team lost a 72-52 exhibition decision at Samford University on Monday night.

The Bulldogs (1-1) built an early 12-2 advantage in the game's first five minutes and then expanded the lead to 18 points at 24-6 with nine minutes remaining on the first-half clock.  Samford's sophomore guard Josh Bedwell of Hartselle, Ala., led the Bulldog charge making his first six 3-point attempts and scoring 20 points in the first period as the Bulldogs went to the locker room with a 40-18 cushion.

The Badgers gamely battled back throughout the second half and cut the lead to 58-40 at the 7:31 mark as junior guard Marcus Coleman from Mobile's Mary G. Montgomery High, junior forward Owen McNally of Long Beach, Miss., and senior guard Jeremy Price of Dallas, Texas, found their shooter's touch.  Sophomore center Nick Brown was saddled with early foul troubles, but began to make his presence known late in the game under the boards.

Samford, however, was able to hold off the Badger charge behind Bedwell's 24 points, sophomore guard Josh Davis' 12 points and center Matthew Friday's 12 rebounds.  The Bulldogs shot 51% (25-49) from the field and 44% (14-32) from long distance.

The Badgers were led by Price with 14 points, Coleman with 10 points and seven rebounds by McNally.  As a team, the Badgers shot 35% (22-62) from the field and 30% (8-27) from 3-point territory.

Spring Hill (2-2) will host Faulkner University (4-1) on Monday at 7 p.m. in a re-match of an earlier contest between the two schools this season that Faulkner won 74-68 in overtime.