CHICAGO (Interstat) — Two men’s basketball teams seeking to halt extended slides will meet Tuesday afternoon when the La Salle Explorers visit the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in an Atlantic 10 Conference matchup at Joseph Gentile Center.

La Salle (7-15, 3-6 A-10) enters on a two-game losing streak following a 67-58 home loss to Saint Joseph’s on Saturday. Loyola Chicago (5-18, 1-9) has lost nine consecutive games, most recently an 89-75 defeat at VCU last Friday. The matchup pairs the 12th and 15th-place teams in the 15-team conference.

The Explorers will lean on forward Rob Dockery, who is coming off a dominant performance despite the loss. Against Saint Joseph’s, he logged 33 minutes, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds with five assists. Over his last eight games, Dockery is averaging 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists, serving as La Salle’s primary offensive catalyst.

The Ramblers counter with forward Miles Rubin, who scored 21 points in the loss at VCU. Rubin has been a consistent contributor during the skid, averaging 11.3 points, 3.4 assists and 2.4 blocks over his last seven contests. His defensive presence, with multiple blocks in five of those games, will be key against Dockery and the Explorers’ frontcourt.

La Salle’s recent victories have come at home, with road wins elusive since a Jan. 7 victory at Rhode Island. The Explorers are 1-7 in true road games this season. Loyola Chicago has struggled at Gentile Center, losing its last five home contests, with its lone conference win coming against Davidson on Jan. 3.

The game represents a critical opportunity for both squads to build momentum for the final month of the regular season. For Loyola, it is a chance to end a drought that dates to early January. For La Salle, it is a needed opportunity to steady itself on the road before a challenging stretch that includes games against VCU and Saint Louis.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST Tuesday.