GAME NOTES: The Florida Atlantic Owls look to get back on track when they step into the Murphy Center for a Conference USA clash with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday evening.

FAU has lost two straight to open its conference slate, including Thursday's 66-57 setback at UAB. Prior to that, the Owls had won six of seven in non- league play. Following this tilt, they will return to Boca Raton to host Western Kentucky and Marshall next week.

Middle Tennessee is coming off Thursday's 65-52 home win over FIU to snap a two-game slide. The Blue Raiders had failed to crack 50 points in those previous two losses. This contest wraps up their three-game homestand.

MT has won five straight head-to-head meetings and leads the all-time series with FAU, 12-4.

FAU was never able to find much of an offensive rhythm at UAB earlier this week, as the team shot just 37.9 percent from the floor, 22.7 percent from the perimeter, and 53.3 percent at the foul line. The Owls were also out- rebounded, 42-31. Jackson Trapp paced four double-figure scorers in the loss with 13 points. Javier Lacunza scored 11 off the bench, and Kelvin Penn (nine rebounds) and C.J. Turman finished with 10 apiece.

On the season, Solomon Poole paces the squad in scoring with 14.5 ppg, while Trapp (11.8 ppg) and Marquan Botley (11.2 ppg) are also averaging double figures. Poole transferred to FAU after being dismissed from Georgia Tech in February due to conduct and accountability issues, and he gained eligibility for game action on Dec. 16. While Poole adds a scoring boost, the Owls continue to hang their hats on playing sound defense, having limited foes to 59.9 ppg.

Defense is also the name of the game for the Blue Raiders, as they have not allowed an opponent to score 70 points on them yet this season. They are second in C-USA in scoring defense, allowing 59.3 ppg. The problem for the Blue Raiders, however, is that they are putting up only 58.9 ppg and shooting just 39 percent from the floor as a team. No player is averaging double figures, as Jacquez Rozier leads the team in scoring with 9.1 ppg.

But after scoring 48 and 49 points in their previous two games, the Blue Raiders hung 65 points on FIU, thanks largely to their bench outscoring the Panthers' reserves, 35-2. Edward Simpson knocked down 4-of-5 3-point attempts en route to a career-high 14 points off the bench, while fellow reserve Reggie Upshaw tallied 11 points and six boards. Rozier finished with 10 points to go along with three steals and two blocks in the win.

Points will likely be hard to come by for both teams in this matchup. The magic number for Middle Tennessee is 60, as the Blue Raiders are 8-0 this season when scoring 60 or more points. They are also 51-6 at home over the last four seasons, although two of those losses have come in 2014-15.