GAME NOTES: The 12th-ranked Xavier Musketeers are set to do battle with the Rhode Island Rams in Atlantic 10 Conference action. Xavier is 21-4 overall this season and sits atop the A-10 standings with a 9-1 record. The Musketeers have been idle since last Wednesday when they earned a hard-fought 62-60 decision over Charlotte on the road. They are currently riding a seven-game win streak and hope to improve a 5-3 mark in true road games. As for Rhode Island, it has lost two of its last three outings to fall to 20-5 overall and 6-4 in league play. The Rams are coming off a 92-89 overtime loss to Temple on Wednesday, but they do enter this evening's clash with a perfect 11-0 home record. The Musketeers own a 13-3 advantage in the all-time series with the Rams, but Rhode Island did halt a 12-game losing skid in the series with a win in the second of two meetings last season.

Xavier is scoring 77.1 ppg this season while limiting the opposition to 62.7 ppg on 40.4 percent shooting from the floor. The Musketeers are outrebounding opponents by 6.3 rpg, a key to their success. It is hard to find many teams as balanced offensively as Xavier, as the team has six double-digit scorers in the lineup. Drew Lavender leads the pack with 11.7 ppg, and he has dished out 119 assists against 47 turnovers. Josh Duncan adds 11.2 ppg, Derrick Brown is scoring 11.0 ppg, and B.J. Raymond checks in with 10.9 ppg. C.J. Anderson (10.6 ppg) and Stanley Burrell (10.2 ppg) round out the group. In the narrow win over Charlotte last time out, Duncan hit all seven of his shots from the floor, including 5-of-5 from three-point range, and finished with 25 points off the bench. Brown pitched in 11 points for the Musketeers, who won despite committing 23 turnovers and shooting 39.5 percent from the floor. Strong defense and a 40-32 rebounding advantage certainly helped the cause.

There are four players who have started all 25 games for Rhode Island this season, and it is not surprising that they are the top four scorers on the roster. Will Daniels continues to pace the Rams with his 18.4 ppg, and he is pulling down 6.9 rpg. Jimmy Baron adds 15.3 ppg, and Parfait Bitee is contributing 11.1 ppg and 5.0 apg. As for Kahiem Seawright, he provides 9.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg. Rhode Island is racking up 81.5 ppg, and the team is limiting opponents to 71.8 ppg. Daniels posted 26 points for the Rams against Temple last time out, but the strong effort was not enough to avoid defeat. Bitee had 17 points in that contest, and Seawright pulled down 15 boards. Keith Cothran added 14 points, and Lamonte Ulmer had 10 points off the bench.

Expect a mild upset tonight, as the Rams will remain perfect at home with a victory over Xavier. After surviving a close call against Charlotte, don't expect the Musketeers to be as fortunate this time around.