GAME NOTES: The Detroit Titans will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak on Saturday when they visit the Ryan Center for a non-conference matchup with the Rhode Island Rams.

The Titans won five out of six games before their Dec. 13 bout against Wichita State. Detroit had WSU on the ropes and held its own for the majority of the contest, but the Shockers eventually pulled away for a 77-68 decision. Coach Ray McCallum's squad then suffered a 75-70 setback at UCF on Wednesday to fall to a 6-5 overall record. The Titans are 1-3 in true away tests. They will conclude their current three-game road trip on Tuesday at Arizona State.

Rhode Island will be seeking its second win in a row after an impressive, 83-44 rout of Delaware State in its last outing. The Rams are 4-0 at the Ryan Center and have yet to lose to a mid-major program this season. Coach Dan Hurley's team has been relentless on the defensive end to limit the opposition to only 56.8 ppg, which is the 25th best scoring defense in the nation. The Rams have held their opponents to 39 percent shooting from the floor, despite having played a very difficult non-conference schedule to this point.

This will be the sixth meeting in history between the Titans and URI on the hardwood. Detroit owns a 3-2 all-time series lead thanks to its 70-68 triumph over the Rams at Calihan Hall last December.

Detroit submitted a decent offensive showing in Orlando, finishing with a 46.6 percent efficiency rating from the field, including an 8-of-18 clip from 3- point range. However, the Titans also allowed UCF to shoot 50 percent from the floor and were outscored by the Knights, 22-8, at the free-throw line. Senior forward Juwan Howard Jr. scored 15 of his team-high 25 points in the second half, while freshman Paris Bass added 11 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds. Howard is the leading scorer in the Horizon League with 20 ppg and Anton Wilson is on top of the conference leaderboard in 3-point field goal percentage (.519). As a team, Detroit is ranked third in the Horizon League in both scoring offense (72.6 ppg) and scoring margin (+6.5 ppg).

The Rams dominated Delaware State on Sunday, as they shot 71 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes en route to the 39-point win. Sophomore guard E.C. Matthews led the charge with 14 points and Gilvydas Biruta chimed in with 13 points. Matthews had been a key component towards URI's rise in the ranks since he arrived on campus and is third in the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring at 17.1 ppg. Biruta is one of the top offensive rebounders in the league is the fourth-leading scorer on the Rams at 10.4 ppg. Sophomore forward Hassan Martin has been steady, producing 11.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per tilt.

Detroit has had a great deal of trouble this season outside of the Motor City. Although the Rams have a ways to go before they will be competing for the A-10 crown, they have progressed to the point where they should have confidence at home versus a solid mid-major squad like Detroit. Howard is one of the most dynamic players in the country, but Martin's hard-nosed defense should prevent the son of the former Fab Five member from carrying his unit to a win.