BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — The Samford Bulldogs, looking to solidify their standing in the Southern Conference, will host the struggling Virginia Military Institute Keydets on Thursday afternoon at the Pete Hanna Center. Samford (16-13) enters the matchup after a narrow 89-86 road loss to Mercer on Saturday snapped a six-game winning streak. The Bulldogs have been strong at home, winning five of their last six in Birmingham. Their recent surge has been fueled by forward Dylan Faulkner, who is averaging 19.4 points and 8.9 rebounds over his last eight games. Faulkner is coming off a 27-point, 8-rebound performance against Mercer and recorded a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double in a win at East Tennessee State on Feb. 14. VMI (6-23) seeks to end a prolonged slump, carrying a 10-game losing streak into Birmingham. The Keydets fell 81-62 to Western Carolina at home in their most recent outing. Their last victory came on Jan. 14. Despite the team’s struggles, guard TJ Johnson has been a consistent bright spot, scoring 20 or more points in five of the last eight contests. Johnson is averaging 19.1 points per game during that stretch and logged 40 minutes in a loss to Wofford on Feb. 4. The Bulldogs won the season’s first meeting decisively, 78-58, in Lexington on Jan. 1. Samford has won five straight in the series. For Samford, a win would maintain momentum ahead of a key home game against UNC Greensboro on Saturday. VMI, mired at the bottom of the conference, continues a difficult road trip at Chattanooga on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST.