GAME NOTES: The Charlotte 49ers host the Rice Owls in what looks like a Conference USA mismatch on Saturday evening at Halton Arena.

Rice has struggled to a 4-11 record this season and is just 1-3 in league play so far. The Owls come into this game with a three-game losing streak in tow and have dropped five of their last six games overall.

The Owls fell Thursday in a 63-53 loss to Old Dominion. They were paced by Marcus Jackson with 15 points and four assists, although he shot just 5-of-14 from the floor. Rice battles throughout the game, but was unable to get past the Monarchs. Jackson was joined in double figures by Max Guercy, who netted 13 points in the loss for Rice, which shot just .396 from the floor against Old Dominion. The Owls were beat up on the glass as well, getting outrebounded 38-23.

The leading scorer for the Owls in each of the last four games, Jackson has used 40.6 percent shooting beyond the arc to arrive at 14.3 ppg. But more than just the top scorer for the program, Jackson is also tops in the passing department with 54 assists and is one of the better rebounders with 4.0 per contest. Seth Gearhart, a 38.7 percent shooter out on the perimeter, is responsible for another 13.3 ppg for a team generating just 62.3 ppg. Guercy is just below the double-digit mark, averaging 8.9 ppg.

Two of the Owls' wins have come outside the Division I ranks.

Charlotte pulled back to the .500 mark on Thursday with a 73-57 drubbing of North Texas. The 49ers actually trailed at halftime but used a 14-0 run early in the second half to pull away.

Pierria Henry scored a season-high 21 points, Braxton Ogbueze added 14 and Willie Clayton grabbed 13 rebounds in the resounding win, which moved Charlotte to 2-2 in C-USA play.

Charlotte is ranked second in the C-USA in scoring offense with 73.6 ppg despite ranking last in the conference in free-throw percentage (.618). A balanced attack is the key to the 49ers' success, with seven players averaging at least 7.5 ppg. Torin Dorn leads the way with 12.1 ppg, while Henry is chipping in 11.5 ppg while ranking among the C-USA leaders in steals (2.4) and assists (5.7 apg) per game.

The 49ers will likely have an easy time with Rice, which has yet to win in seven games away from home.