GAME NOTES: The Rhode Island Rams aim to keep one streak going and snap another when they begin Atlantic 10 Conference play on Saturday afternoon against the Saint Louis Billikens at Chaifetz Arena.

The Rams come into this nationally-televised contest (NBCSN) sporting a three- game win streak, but they have dropped their last seven A-10 openers, dating back to the 2007-08 season. Rhode Island, which is coming off a 80-60 home win over Brown on Wednesday, hasn't won four straight since Jan. 26 - Feb. 6, 2010. The Rams lost to North Carolina that year in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament.

The Billikens, who conclude a six-game homestand on Saturday, had their three- game win streak broken on Wednesday with a 70-55 home loss to Vanderbilt.

Rhode Island, which holds a 7-6 lead in the all-time series, had won five straight against the Billikens before Saint Louis scored a 59-58 win on Jan. 7 2014 at the Ryan Center.

Hassan Martin scored 17 points, leading four players in double figures, in the recent win for Rhode Island. Martin, who also pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots, converted all but one of his eight field goal tries. E.C. Matthews pitched in with 12 points, and both Biggie Minnis and Jarelle Reischel tallied 10 points.

Defense has carried the Rams thus far this season. They are ranked in the top-20 nationally, yielding only 56.9 points per game. That's tops in the A-10. Opponents are shooting 27.8 percent from 3-point range and the Rams hold a plus-14.5 scoring margin. Matthews, a sophomore guard, leads the team in scoring (17.2 ppg). Martin (11.5 ppg) heads the team on the glass (6.3 rpg) and has 21 blocks. Jared Terrell (9.5 ppg) and 6-foot-8 senior forward Gilvydas Biruta (9.1 ppg) are also part of the starting lineup.

Austin McBroom and Ash Yacoubou both tallied 15 points, while Milik Yarbrough accounted for 13 points in Saint Louis' recent loss to Vanderbilt. After making 42.3 percent of their field goal tries through the first 20 minutes, the Billikens dropped to 31.0 percent, allowing the Commodores to secure the comfortable win.

McBroom (11.2 ppg) is the lone SLU player averaging double digits in scoring, although he does connect on 49.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. The Billikens are shooting just 41.1 percent from the field as a team. Yacoubou (9.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Yarbrough (8.4 ppg) are the next two top scorers. The Billikens have won 65 games in a row when holding their opponents to 60 points or less, but their struggles offensively have put head coach Jim Crews in a tough position heading into conference play. They rank 13th in the league with just 61.2 ppg.

Saint Louis has captured the Atlantic 10 regular-season title outright the last two years, but in their conference opener the Billikens face a tough task as they'll need to step up against one of the best defenses in the nation. The last three games between these teams have been decided by a total of five points. There's no reason to think this one won't be close as well.