GAME NOTES: A couple of teams trying to turn their seasons around hook up in Carbondale tonight, as the Bradley Braves tangle with the Southern Illinois Salukis in Missouri Valley Conference action. The Braves enter the contest on the decline, as they have dropped five straight games, including an 80-73 setback to Wichita State on Saturday. The loss kept the team winless in league play at 0-3, although it is hardly time to panic for Bradley, which opened its 2006-07 campaign 1-3 before finishing 10-8. Still, at just 7-8 overall, and now headed out to the road for two straight games, there has to be some concern for the Braves. As for SIU, it may be the biggest disappointment in the league thus far, winning just one of its first three conference tilts. Once ranked in the Top-25 this season, the Salukis stand at only 6-8 overall and that includes a 56-47 setback at Illinois State on Saturday. On a positive note, SIU does return home, where it has gone an incredible 54-1 against MVC foes dating back to the 2001-02 season. With regard to the all-time series, Bradley holds a small 38-33 lead over SIU, although the Salukis have won the last six encounters in Carbondale.

The Braves have played their last several games without their top producer in Daniel Ruffin, who has been suffering from a strained abdominal muscle, and that is one reason for the team's recent slide. Ruffin leads the roster in scoring (14.2 ppg) as well as assists (6.1 apg), but he is expected to be sidelined for this game. Jeremy Crouch will once again try to pick up the slack in his absence, and he is averaging 13.5 ppg on the strength of 42.9 percent shooting from long distance. Andrew Warren chips in with 12.7 ppg for Bradley, which relies heavily on three-point shooting, averaging 25.2 attempts per game. In the squad's most recent outing, the Braves went 12-of-33 from long distance, but they shot just 37.9 percent from the floor in an 80-73 setback against Wichita State. The team was also dominated on the boards, 38-22, and it even allowed Wichita State to shoot a sizzling 64.3 percent from the field. Crouch and Warren each tallied 19 points in the losing cause.

The Salukis have done a good job in holding their opponents to 61.1 ppg, but their focus on defense has set the team back at the offensive end of the court, where they are averaging only 60.6 ppg. Randal Falker is the squad's leading scorer with 12.4 ppg and he is also pulling down a team-high 7.1 rpg. Matt Shaw has provided a nice complement to him with 11.9 ppg and 6.1 rpg, while Bryan Mullins contributes 10.1 ppg and a team-high 5.1 apg. In the team's last game, SIU shot a horrific 26.0 percent from the floor and it turned the ball over 21 times in a loss at Illinois State. Shaw guided the Salukis in defeat with a double-double of 15 points and 18 rebounds, while Falker logged 13 points and eight boards.

The Salukis are a different team at home than on the road and with a smothering effort on defense, they should be able to slip past a fading Bradley club tonight.