GAME NOTES: The Marist Red Foxes try to prevent picking up their 10th loss of the season, as they host the Hawks of Saint Joseph's in non-conference play on Saturday.

Outside of a 68-64 win over Fresno State late last month, the 2014-15 season has thus far been a disaster for the Red Foxes. The team has dropped nine decisions, five in a row now following a 92-77 setback at VMI last weekend. Already 0-1 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, Marist needs to find some answers to their issues in short order before the conference schedule kicks off in earnest in just two weeks.

As for the Hawks, they are a puzzling bunch, unable to put together consistent efforts from one game to the next. The squad has won back-to-back outings only once, versus Vermont and LIU Brooklyn last month, and is trying to make it happen again on Saturday after defeating Loyola-Maryland in the most recent outing on Dec. 9 by a score of 68-42.

As far as the all-time series is concerned, the Hawks won the only previous meeting by a score of 81-62 at home last season.

At home in Hagan Arena now 11 days ago, the Hawks leaned on DeAndre' Bembry and his game-high 21 points to get them beyond the Greyhounds. Bembry converted 8-of-11 shots from the floor and added seven rebounds for the hosts, followed by Chris Wilson with 13 points for a team that hit 46.9 percent from the floor, compared to only 28.3 percent for the visitors. In addition, the St. Joe's defense limited Loyola to a mere 2-of-16 behind the 3-point line.

Scoring points has been a difficult prospect for the Hawks so far this season, exceeding 68 points only once, and the team needed overtime to make that happen against LIU. As it stands, the Hawks are producing only 58.2 ppg, one of the lowest averages in the nation currently, yet somehow they still have a winning record. Bembry stands as the lone double-digit scorer with 14.8 ppg, shooting only 23.7 percent on the perimeter and 60.5 percent at the free-throw line.

Against a team that runs the floor and lets fly with countless 3-pointers like few others in Division I, the Red Foxes were in over their heads against VMI last weekend in Lexington. Marist led by five points just moments into the first half of the meeting, but then allowed the hosts to convert 19 triples, on 55 attempts, en route to the 15-point loss. Eric Truog logged a double- double for the visitors with 26 points and 13 rebounds, followed by James Griffin with 13 points, while Manny Thomas and Phillip Lawrence responded with 12 and 11, respectively.

Unfortunately for the Red Foxes, injuries have taken a major toll on the unit in the early portion of the season with Khallid Hart (24.5 ppg after two games) on the shelf with a foot injury, as well as Chavaughn Lewis (17.9 ppg) listed as questionable for an ankle issue. That leaves only Lawrence as an active double-digit scorer for Marist with 10.0 ppg and sees the team scoring a mere 56.8 ppg which is even less than the Hawks.

It has been a struggle for the Hawks shooting the ball so far this season and their 23.4 percent accuracy beyond the arc and mere 61.1 percent at the charity stripe will continue to do them harm, but probably not this weekend versus Marist.