HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — A pair of Southland Conference men’s basketball teams seeking to halt slides will meet Saturday when the Nicholls State Colonels visit the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at the University Center.

Nicholls State (8-11, 3-3 Southland) enters having lost three straight, including a 79-62 home defeat to Stephen F. Austin on Monday. The Colonels had previously won five consecutive games. Southeastern Louisiana (5-14, 1-5) has dropped four of its last five, with a narrow 65-68 road loss at Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Monday being its most recent outing.

The matchup features two of the league’s top guards. Nicholls State will lean on Jaylen Searles, who is averaging 18.0 points per game over his last eight contests. Searles is coming off a 22-point performance in the loss to Stephen F. Austin and scored 24 in a win at New Orleans on Jan. 10.

Southeastern Louisiana counters with Jeremy Elyzee, who has been a consistent contributor. He led the Lions with 14 points in the loss to UTRGV and is averaging 10.9 points per game during conference play.

Both teams have struggled defensively in recent losses. Nicholls State allowed an average of 87.7 points in its three-game skid, while Southeastern Louisiana has been held under 70 points in three of its last four games.

The Colonels won the first meeting between the programs last season, 78-71, in Thibodaux. They will look to rediscover their early-January form, which included a 3-0 start in league play.

Saturday’s game is the first of two regular-season meetings. The teams will play again in Thibodaux on Feb. 28.

Tipoff is set for 4:05 p.m. CST.