GAME NOTES: Tom Gola Arena is the site for a matchup of old conference foes on Saturday, as the La Salle Explorers host the Saint Peter's Peacocks as part of the Barclays Center Classic.

The Peacocks are desperate to get going in the right direction after losing three straight to tip off the 2014-15 campaign. The most recent setback for the program came two nights ago in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener against Niagara at home, 61-59.

While the Peacocks are still winless, La Salle is trying to remain undefeated after having won two straight to open the campaign. The season began with a 57-52 victory at home versus Colgate and continued with a narrow 60-58 triumph over another member of the MAAC, Quinnipiac, on Tuesday.

La Salle, which has won 19 of its last 21 non-conference regular-season home games, leads the all-time series by a 13-8 margin and is 7-2 at home versus the Peacocks.

Against Niagara at the Yanitelli Center a few nights back, the Peacocks led by as many as eight midway through the first half, but then saw a 20-point swing into the second frame, en route to the narrow loss. Marvin Dominique stepped up with a double-double consisting of 18 points and 13 rebounds, followed by Tyler Gaskins and Chazz Patterson with 16 and 12 points, respectively, but it wasn't nearly enough due partly to the fact that the Saint Peter's reserves responded with just five points on the night.

After three games, Dominique leads the program with not only 16.0 ppg but also 11.7 rpg and seven steals, but clearly he can't do it all alone, especially when shooting just 2-of-11 behind the 3-point line.

Another part of the problem for the Peacocks has Desi Washington (11.0 ppg) out with a hand injury right now and he was the only other double-digit scorer for the team in the early going.

Trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, the Explorers held Quinnipiac to a mere 28.1 percent shooting from the floor after the intermission in order to steal away a 60-58 decision on the road earlier this week in Connecticut. In a game that featured 10 ties and six lead chances, Jordan Price emerged as the lone double-digit scorer for the visitors with 18 points, while Steve Zack responded with seven points and 11 rebounds, even as La Salle was being pummeled on the glass, 59-35.

Shooting a woeful 27.6 percent from the field, which includes 1-of-12 behind the 3-point line, Price is the lone double-digit scorer for the Explorers after two games with his 13.0 ppg. The team is posting only 58.5 ppg, yet that is still better than the 55.0 ppg being put up by the competition.

Rebounding has already been a problem for La Salle, the team being beaten on the glass by a 47.5 to 35.0 margin.

As long as the Explorers can get some scoring help from someone other than Price, they should be in prime position to remain undefeated, while Saint Peter's will again have to go looking for that elusive first victory somewhere else.