Seeding is Overrated as Samford Wins a SoCon Title
Three seed? Check. Two seed? Check. One seed? Checks across the board as Samford goes on an incredible run to earn a Southern Conference Tournament title over the Chattanooga Mocs, 72-67. Samford became the first six seed since 1999 to win a SoCon Tournament title.
Samford has their first SoCon Tournament championship since 2020 and will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 (2020 season ending due to COVID-19). First year head coach Matt Wise spent the last three years on the Samford staff as an assistant and now in his debut season as Samford’s leader, his team is dancing.
Powered by two true freshmen in guard Kaylee Yarbrough and guard Francie Morris, Samford got their third straight upset win in Asheville. Yarbrough finished with 25 points off the bench while Morris finished with 22 points and six rebounds.
Senior guard Sierra Godbolt played almost the entire game minus just 17 seconds finishing with 12 points and five rebounds.
Chattanooga came out guns-a-blazing hitting their first four threes getting a 14-3 lead just 4:10 into the game. Following a Samford timeout the Bulldogs answered right back going on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to one. By the end of the first quarter, Samford found themselves with a three point lead.
Samford somewhat expected Chattanooga to get off to that hot start but the Bulldogs settled in. “We as a staff thought that was a possibility,” said Samford head coach Matt Wise. “So when it happened, you don’t rise to what you hope and dream, you fall to what you were prepared for.”
The Bulldog defense stepped up to the plate in the second quarter holding Chattanooga to just seven points getting to halftime with a 35-27 lead.
Samford kept their foot on the gas in the third quarter shooting 67% from the field which included going 3-4 from three-point land. Morris hit two of those while Yarbrough hit the other. In fact, Morris and Yarbrough combined for 15 of Samford’s 19 points in the third quarter. Samford held a 13-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Chattanooga ended up cutting the Samford lead all the way down to two but the Bulldogs never surrendered the lead and got it done at the free throw line. Samford went 9-10 from the charity stripe when they needed them the most to seal a SoCon championship.
There was a three-way tie for first place in the SoCon standings and Samford beat them all. Just to put what Samford just did into more perspective, they started 1-6 in SoCon play. Since that start, Samford went on to go 8-2 over their next ten to claim the crown.
Oh even before then, Samford played the 23rd hardest non-conference in the entire country to prepare them for this tournament. Samford is a young team, they have seven combined freshmen and redshirt freshmen plus then four seniors.
“It’s a unique dynamic,” said Wise. “Obviously lost Jada (Knight) in the course of the season and wish we could have had her out there with us. But the other three seniors, I thought really stepped up to the moment. As for the freshmen, it was just a matter of progression. It was a matter of them getting better and better through the course of the season, which they did. They put in the work, they put in the extra time with our coaches. I mean, how many extra film sessions, mental skills, training, like extra time in the gym, they work their tails off. And so it was just a matter of time for it showing itself. And that's what I told them, it might not even show itself this year, but it's gonna show itself at some point. And so to have freshmen rise to the moment and seniors rise to the moment, like, you know, there's an Eric Thomas line. You got to be ready for the opportunity of a lifetime and a lifetime of the opportunity and they were.”
Well this Samford team rose to the opportunity in front of them that is for sure. This Samford freshman class also signed with Samford under a different head coach. Francie Morris and Kaylee Yarbrough along with Avary Brewer stayed committed to play under Wise and look what happened. It’s safe to say they have enjoyed their experience in Homewood so far.
“Oh I would say it’s been unreal,” said Morris. “Like, this experience has been incredible and Coach Matt has done what he’s been saying and doing such a great job of encouraging and coaching us. We wouldn’t be the players we are today without him and this coaching staff. This moment is unreal and I am just so thankful.”
Yarbrough definitely agreed. “When I found out that Coach Matt got the job, like I had no worry at all,” said Yarbrough. “Like I believed in him in every step of the way. I was like okay, let’s go. I’m just so thankful for this group of girls and this coaching staff because they gave us so much and I’m just really blessed.”
Samford is heading to the NCAA Tournament and the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Sunday is on March 15th. Then Samford will find whether they will play in the First Four in Dayton or squarely in the field.
The rest of the SoCon better look out because this now young team is going to get better and better. They are not going anywhere.
