CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — A surging Illinois-Chicago team looks to extend its winning streak when it visits Southern Illinois in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at SIU Arena.

The Flames (12-10, 7-2 MVC) have won seven straight games, the latest a 76-74 home victory over Indiana State on Tuesday. UIC’s last loss was at Valparaiso on Jan. 4. During this run, they handed the Salukis a 70-57 defeat in Chicago on Jan. 7.

Southern Illinois (9-12, 3-6) halted a four-game skid with a 65-50 home win over Northern Iowa on Wednesday. The Salukis will seek to avenge the earlier loss and improve their standing in the conference race.

UIC’s success has been fueled by balance and defense, holding opponents to an average of 62.1 points during the streak. A key contributor has been Mekhi Lowery, who is coming off a 10-point, two-assist performance against Indiana State. Over the last eight games, he has averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks while providing versatile defense.

The Salukis are led by Rolyns Aligbe, who exploded for 21 points in the win over Northern Iowa. His scoring punch will be vital for a Southern Illinois offense that has struggled at times in conference play. In the first meeting, Aligbe was held to six points in 19 minutes.

Southern Illinois holds a 39-27 advantage in the all-time series, but UIC has won three of the last five meetings. The Flames’ current streak marks their longest in conference play since joining the MVC.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST Saturday. UIC visits Murray State next Tuesday, while Southern Illinois travels to Illinois State on the same night.