ST. CHARLES, Mo. (Interstat) — A surging Lindenwood looks to protect its home court against an Arkansas-Little Rock team finding its footing in Ohio Valley Conference play when the two meet Saturday at Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena.

The Lions (10-6) have won four of their last five games and sit at 2-1 in the conference. Their most recent outing was a narrow 66-62 road loss to SIU Edwardsville on Tuesday, where Jadis Jones scored 22 points. Jones, a key player for Lindenwood, is averaging 18.3 points over his last four contests.

The Trojans (6-10) have shown recent improvement, winning three of their last four, including a 73-70 victory at SIU Edwardsville on Thursday. That win evened their OVC record at 2-2. They are led by standout guard Johnathan Lawson, who is in the midst of a dominant stretch. Lawson poured in 23 points and dished five assists in Thursday’s win, marking his fourth 20-point performance in the last six games. Over that span, he is averaging 20.3 points and 4.8 assists per game.

Lindenwood holds a clear advantage in the season standings, but the teams have followed similar OVC paths, each with a win over Tennessee Tech and a loss to Tennessee State. The Lions boast a potent offense, having scored 92 or more points in three of their last five home games.

Arkansas-Little Rock will need another high-minute, high-output performance from Lawson to counter Lindenwood’s balanced attack and overcome a road venue where the Lions are 7-2 this season. The matchup is the first of a home-and-home series between the programs, with the rematch scheduled for Feb. 5 in Little Rock.

Tipoff is set for Saturday afternoon in St. Charles.