GAME NOTES: A pair of teams trying to snap their losing streaks collide at the Prudential Center in Newark tonight, as the South Florida Bulls clash with the Seton Hall Pirates in Big East play. After opening conference action with a win over Rutgers, the Bulls have suffered three straight losses, including an 86-70 setback at Providence on Saturday. It was the third straight loss on the road by USF, which dipped to 10-7 overall and 2-4 on the road. Following tonight's bout, the Bulls will return back to Tampa to host West Virginia on Sunday. As for SHU, it has dropped four straight games following three consecutive victories. The team was last in action on Saturday, when it was downed at nationally-ranked Pittsburgh, 84-70. With the loss, the Pirates dropped to 10-6 overall and 0-3 in conference play. On a positive note, SHU has never lost to USF before, going a perfect 3-0 all-time against the Bulls.

For the season, the Bulls are scoring a solid 74.6 ppg behind 45.4 percent shooting from the floor, with four players averaging in double figures. Kentrell Gransberry is a legitimate First-Team All-Big East candidate and he is one of the few players in the conference averaging a double-double with 16.3 ppg and 11.2 rpg. Dominique Jones trails Gransberry narrowly in the scoring department at 16.1 ppg and he is also grabbing 4.7 rpg and dishing out 3.2 apg. Chris Howard adds 11.5 ppg and a team-best 5.2 apg to the mix, while Chris Verdejo rounds out the rotation with 10.1 ppg. In the team's last game, Gransberry poured in 22 points and corralled six boards, but his effort went to waste in an 86-70 setback at Providence. Howard tallied 16 points in the loss and Jones chipped in with 10. USF hit on 7-of-18 shots from long range, but allowed Providence to sink an even better 13-of-21 attempts from behind the arc.

The Pirates are scoring a healthy 82.2 ppg on the season, but that average has dipped to 70.7 ppg in league play. Brian Laing has been the squad's most productive player thus far, as he turns in a team-high 19.0 ppg and a solid 7.6 rpg. Eugene Harvey is next in line with 17.2 ppg and he is dishing out a team-best 4.3 apg, while Jeremy Hazell chips in with 10.6 ppg. In the squad's prior outing, SHU shot a lackluster 34.8 percent from the floor, as it suffered an 84-70 defeat at Pittsburgh. The team was also outdone from three- point range, making just 5-of-23 attempts compared to an 11-of-20 effort by Pittsburgh. Harvey guided the Pirates in defeat with 25 points and four steals, while Laing had 17 points and six boards.

SHU has played well at home this season and with a big showing at the offensive end of the court, it should be able to slip past a slumping USF squad tonight.