GAME NOTES: Seeking to end a four-game losing streak, the SIU Edwardsville Cougars will travel to face the Central Michigan Chippewas in a non-conference affair at McGuirk Arena on Saturday.

SIU Edwardsville has dropped four games in a row since a season-opening win against Harris-Stowe, 104-56. The Cougars fell most recently to Southern Illinois, 79-67, in Carbondale on Wednesday.

Central Michigan has been stellar at home this season, notching a 5-0 mark at McGuirk Arena entering this clash. The Chippewas lost their first game on Tuesday at Bradley, 84-73.

These two programs have met just one other time on the floor, which saw Central Michigan come away with the victory. That contest took place last season in Edwardsville, which the Chippewas won, 65-64.

Both Southern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville shot the ball well from the floor in Wednesday night's contest, with each team netting more than 46 percent of their shots. But it was the first half that buried the Cougars, who connected on just 23.1 percent from the field while SIU hit on 56.5 percent of its field goal tries to take a 45-22 lead into the intermission. Kris Davis led the Cougars with 18 points, while Donivine Stewart chipped in with 17 points and five rebounds. SIUE grabbed a mere 21 boards in the defeat, compared to 36 rebounds for the Salukis.

Davis and Stewart are ranked first and second, respectively, in scoring for the Cougars this season. Davis comes in notching 15.4 ppg on 45-percent shooting. Stewart chips in 15.2 ppg, and dishes out a team-best 5.0 apg with 1.6 spg. They are the only two players averaging in double digits, even though the team is netting a respectable 76.4 ppg. The problem is the team is allowing 74.8 ppg to opponents this season.

Central Michigan finished last in the Mid-American Conference last season thanks in large part to inexperience. But the young players that were left to develop least season are starting to emerge now, as the Chippewas are off to a fast start. Chris Fowler led all CMU scorers with 24 points in the team's loss to Bradley, adding in six assists and 16-of-20 shooting from the free-throw line. Braylon Rayson contributed 17 points, John Simons added 12 and Josh Kozinski chipped in with 11 points in the 11- point defeat. Defensively, Central Michigan allowed the Braves to net 52.2 percent of their shots in the contest.

Fowler could be in the midst of a breakout season, as he comes into this game leading the team with 15.3 ppg and a 7.2 apg mark. Simons, the big man, is second on the squad netting 13.2 ppg with a team-best 6.0 rpg average. He's shooting a healthy 60 percent from the floor, and has seven steals with two blocked shots. Rayson rounds out the trio of double-digit scorers this season for Central Michigan, adding in 10.2 ppg to the Chippewas' 80.7 ppg mark.

Central Michigan certainly has the lineup to make a solid run this season, as long as most role players can stay healthy. The biggest issue for the team will be turnovers and whether the players can limit them moving forward. SIU Edwardsville just doesn't have the scoring, especially when playing in a hostile environment.