GAME NOTES: Desperately seeking to put an end to a two-game losing streak, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will host the Cincinnati Bearcats in a non-conference clash at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday.

Cincinnati enjoyed a strong start to the season, and is still reaping the benefits. The 6-1 Bearcats opened with a 5-0 record before the team dropped a tight 60-54 contest to Ole Miss. But Cincinnati got back in the win column with a 78-52 clobbering of Stony Brook on Tuesday.

Nebraska fell from the Top-25 ranks after suffering some untimely losses, including the last two against Creighton (65-55) and Incarnate Word (74-73). Still, the Cornhuskers sport a solid 5-3 record headed into this clash with Cincinnati.

These two programs have met four times on the court in their series history, and Cincinnati has won all four of those matchups. The teams met least season in Cincinnati, with the Bearcats earning a 74-59 victory.

Cincinnati simply overpowered Stony Brook in the Bearcats' last outing, especially on the offensive end. Stony Brook managed 40.4 percent shooting on the day, but it was Cincinnati's 52.7 shooting percentage that drained the life from the Seawolves. Shaq Thomas netted 14 points to pace the Bearcats, adding in six rebounds. Gary Clark chipped in with 13 points and eight boards, while Kevin Johnson added 12 points. Troy Caupain contributed 10 points with a team-best six assists in the win.

What's a bit shocking is that the Bearcats, through seven games played, don't have a single player averaging a double-digit scoring total. Octavius Ellis is the closest one to that mark, netting 9.7 ppg on 59.5 percent shooting from the field. The Bearcats as a unit are managing 62.1 ppg even without a double- digit scoring average, and have largely been picking up wins thanks to a defensive effort that is limiting opponents to 52.3 ppg on 37.8 percent shooting.

Nebraska was left stunned following its one-point loss to Incarnate Word on Wednesday, as the Cardinals came into Pinnacle Bank Arena and hit a game- winning baseline jumper with 2.7 seconds to play that proved to be the deciding score. The Huskers played well offensively, but allowed Incarnate Word to connect on 48.1 percent of its field-goal tries in the loss. Nebraska shot 42.3 percent from the floor, and made 24-of-32 from the free-throw line. Shavin Shields netted a team-high 19 points with nine rebounds, and Terran Petteway contributed 18 points with eight boards and five assists. Walter Pitchford added 10 points in the defeat.

Petteway came into this season as the implanted go-to player for the Huskers, and he's proving he should be just that with a 20.6 ppg mark on 42.1 percent shooting. Shields has been a fantastic contributor as well, entering this clash netting 18.3 ppg for a team that is averaging 72.1 ppg as a unit. But the dropoff from Shields to Benny Parker (6.8 ppg) is significant in the scoring department. Nebraska is allowing opponents to net 64.8 ppg this season on 40.3 percent shooting.

This clash will be a perfect bench mark to judge Nebraska. Is this team a bust, or is this just a slump? Cincinnati will put up a strong effort defensively and will test the home squad, but Petteway and Shields should be angry after two losses and fired up to get back out on the court.