BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Appalachian State plays the first of four-straight Southern Conference road games on Thursday when the squad visits Samford at 8 p.m. The Apps have won four of their last five games after Saturday's 87-74 win over WCU.

Donald Sims scored 28 points in the win, while Kellen Brand added 19 and Marcus Wright scored 15 off the bench.

Western Carolina scored 21 second chance points on 19 offensive boards, but ASU held a 37-36 rebounding advantage.

Following the game in Birmingham, the Mountaineers take on defending Southern Conference champion Chattanooga on Saturday, before returning home on Monday to host King College.

Scouting the Bulldogs
• Samford enters the contest having won two of its last three games and owns a 6-3 record at home.
• The Bulldogs dropped a 63-58 decision at Furman on Monday, capping a three-game road trip over the weekend.
• Bryan Friday led the team with 16 points and averages 10.8 per game on the season.
• Trey Montgomery leads the team with 11.7 points and 4.2 boards per game.
• Samford shoots 46.2 percent as a team, the highest field goal percentage in the league.
• The Bulldogs swept the season series against Elon and split with UNC Greensboro but have not yet faced the other three teams in the North Division.

The Series vs. Samford
• Samford swept the first two meetings between the teams with a pair of double-figure wins a season ago.
• Brand led ASU with 15.0 points and 2.0 steals last year, while Sims pitched in 12.0 points per game. Josh Hunter grabbed 8.5 rebounds in the two games.
• Appalachian head coach Buzz Peterson has never faced Samford.
• The teams close out the regular season in Boone on Feb. 27.
• ASU and Samford tied for third in the SoCon North last season with 9-11 league records.
• The Bulldogs were the only division rival to sweep ASU last season.