GAME NOTES: Conference USA competition starts up for both the Marshall Thundering Herd and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Sunday as the teams meet head-to-head at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Marshall enters the contest on a huge slide. The Thundering Herd have lost three games in a row, and nine of their last 10 games played. The streak has dropped the team back to 4-9 on the season entering conference play. Most recently, the Herd dropped a 70-63 decision at Akron.

Western Kentucky, on the other hand, has been victorious in its last two games, and in four of its last five altogether. The Hilltoppers defeated Brescia (89-42) and Alice Lloyd (104-62) leading up to Conference USA competition.

Western Kentucky leads the all-time series against Marshall, 11-5. Although this is WKU's first season in Conference USA, the two sides met last year, which saw the Herd come away with a 74-64 victory.

Marshall fell behind Akron in the team's latest battle, 35-24, at halftime, which was enough of a lead for the Zips to simply coast through the second half en route to the win. Marshall netted 43.4 percent of its shots from the floor in the loss, but allowed Akron to connect on 12-of-32 from 3-point range in the defeat. Austin Loop netted 16 points to lead the team, while Ryan Taylor contributed 15 points in the losing effort. Aleksa Nikolic pulled down a team-best eight rebounds and dished out seven assists for the Herd.

Taylor has been one of the few bright spots on the Thundering Herd roster this season. The forward leads the team in both scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). The 6-5 forward is shooting 44.2 percent from the floor, and is just four assists (41) shy of the team lead behind Nikolic. Shawn Smith (12.0 ppg) and Loop (10.3 ppg) are the team's other double-digit scorers this season, though Smith has only played in five games due to a shoulder injury. He will miss this one as well. The Herd are scoring 67.8 ppg this season, but are allowing 70.2 ppg to opponents.

Western Kentucky should be riding a giant wave of momentum heading into conference play after the team demolished two consecutive opponents, which includes a 104-62 win over Alice Lloyd. The Hilltoppers connected on 44.4 percent shooting in the huge win, and made 15-of-39 from 3-point range. Four players recorded a double-digit point total for WKU, led by Trency Jackson's 19. T.J. Price netted 18 with seven rebounds and seven assists, and George Fant tallied a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Harrison- Docks added 11 points with a team-high eight assists in the one-sided WKU victory.

Western Kentucky has relied on a strong offensive effort that features veteran scorers, three of which are averaging double-digit point totals heading into conference play. Price tops the squad at 16.8 ppg this season, also adding in a team-best 3.7 apg mark. Harrison-Docks contributes 11.3 ppg for the Hilltoppers, and Fant adds 11.1 ppg. Jackson is just on the outside looking in at 9.9 ppg for WKU, which is scoring 73.0 ppg as a unit on 44.2 percent shooting. The Hilltoppers are also holding opponents to 66.6 ppg on 40.4 percent shooting from the field.

Marshall hasn't been able to produce victories on a regular basis. Western Kentucky, especially at home, will be able to run all over the Thundering Herd offensively, knowing that the visitors won't be able to keep pace.