GAME NOTES: The Marshall Thundering Herd will try to stop the bleeding of a three-game losing streak when they play host to the South Carolina Gamecocks in a non-conference tilt at Cam Henderson Center on Monday night.

South Carolina ended a two-game skid of its own with an 89-75 victory over UNC Asheville in the team's last outing. At 3-3 this season, this clash with Marshall will serve as the team's first road test.

Marshall began the season 3-0 after posting wins over Jacksonville State, Savannah State and West Virginia Tech. But since then, the Herd have dropped three straight to even their record, which includes a 68-59 setback against Cleveland State in their most recent outing.

This matchup between South Carolina and Marshall will be the seventh all-time. The Gamecocks hold the series lead, 4-2, which includes a 92-65 win last December.

The Gamecocks returned to form against UNC Asheville the last time out. South Carolina collectively shot 51.7 percent from the field in the win, and had all five starters finish in double figures. Laimonas Chatkevicius logged a double- double consisting of 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Demetrius Henry wasn't far off the pace with 15 points with eight boards. Sindarius Thornwell, Tyrone Johnson and Duane Notice all contributed 12 points in the winning effort for the Gamecocks.

The five players to reach double figures for South Carolina in the last contest wasn't reflective of the scoring numbers the squad has put up this season through six games. Although the Gamecocks are averaging a respectable 71.7 ppg, only Thornwell enters this clash netting a scoring average in double digits. Thornwell is averaging 13.5 ppg with a team-high 15 steals. Johnson is close, netting 9.8 ppg, and Chatkevicius tops the team in rebounding with 7.0 rpg.

Marshall and Cleveland State spent plenty of time battling back and forth in the Thundering Herd's most recent clash on the court, but it was the latter that owned an 11-point lead at intermission. The Herd made a bit of a comeback in the second frame, but it wasn't enough as the team suffered a nine-point loss. Ryan Taylor paced Marshall with 19 points and nine rebounds, while JP Kambola contributed 15 points in defeat.

Taylor has been the go-to guy for the Herd this season after the team lost star Kareem Canty to transfer in the offseason. Taylor leads the squad in scoring, putting up 16.8 ppg to also go with his team-best 10.3 rpg. Shawn Smith, who has appeared in five games compared to all six for the majority of the squad, is the only other Marshall player with a double-digit scoring average at 12.0 ppg. As a unit, Marshall is scoring 70.2 ppg, and allowing 66.2 ppg.

Marshall may have the homecourt advantage, but the Herd are on a losing streak and are going up against an SEC team that seemed to finally awaken in its last outing.