GAME NOTES: The Southern Miss Golden Eagles close out a two-game homestand on Saturday evening, as they welcome the Florida Atlantic Owls to Reed Green Coliseum for a Conference USA showdown.

Both team have struggled in conference play this season, combining for a mere 2-21 record in C-USA action. Southern Miss and Florida Atlantic also come into this contest with extending losing streaks in tow.

The Golden Eagles have lost five straight games and haven't posted a victory since Jan. 24 at North Texas (75-71 OT). The team most recently fell to 6-17 overall and 1-11 in conference play with a 73-71 overtime loss to FIU. USM currently resides in the league cellar.

The Owls are just above the Golden Eagles at 1-10 in conference play. Florida Atlantic is currently saddled with a six-game losing streak and hasn't won since Jan. 17, a 76-62 rout of Marshall. The team dropped a 65-54 decision at C-USA power Louisiana Tech on Thursday.

This marks just the second time these two programs are meeting on the hardwood. The Golden Eagles won the first and only other matchup, a 66-49 decision last March.

The Owls trailed the Bulldogs by as many as 17 points in the second half, but went on a 12-1 run to pull within six points, before La Tech closed on a run of its own to earn the 11-point decision in Ruston this week. FAU shot a dismal .388 from the floor in the game and turned the ball over 16 times, two key components of the loss. Jackson Trapp was solid in defeat, as he paced the team with 17 points. Marquan Botley added 14 points and Justin Raffington recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds for Florida Atlantic, which owned a 35-30 edge in rebounding.

Offensive proficiency has not been a strength of Florida Atlantic's this season. The Owls are averaging just 62.4 ppg, while allowing 65.0. The team is shooting a pedestrian .407 from the floor and being outrebounded by nearly four boards per contest. Three players are currently averaging double digits in the scoring column for FAU, led by Botley's 13.2 ppg. Solomon Poole and Trapp round out the trio with 12.9 and 11.5 ppg, respectively. Raffington (9.9 ppg) is the team's top rebounder at 7.7 rpg.

Scoring hasn't come easy for Southern Miss this season either. The Golden Eagles are averaging just 61.1 ppg, and sit with an alarming -8.1 scoring margin, as they allow nearly 70 points per game (69.2). Like the Owls, USM also has three players with double-digit scoring averages. Chip Armelin is the best of the bunch, and is ranked ninth in the conference at 15.7 ppg. matt Bingaya is a close second at 14.5 ppg (13th in C-USA), followed by Norville Carey at 10.9 ppg.

Armelin and Bingaya once again did all they could, as they combined for 46 points in a losing effort at home against FIU last time out. Armelin hit six 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 24 points in the overtime loss. Bingaya poured in 22 points in support, but there was little help elsewhere.

Armelin has scored 20 or more points in four straight games and is likely to make it five against an FAU squad that isn't very confident at the moment. Someone has to win this game and playing in Hattiesburg may be just the advantage Southern Miss needs to find the win column.