DYERSBURG, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Dyersburg State Eagles will look to secure their first win of the season when they host the Northwest Mississippi Tigers in a men’s junior college basketball game Saturday.

The Eagles (0-7) enter the contest on a seven-game skid, most recently falling 91-65 to Walters State on Dec. 6. Their search for a victory continues against a familiar opponent. Northwest Mississippi (3-4) defeated Dyersburg State 108-96 in Senatobia, Mississippi, on Nov. 4 in the season opener for both teams.

Despite their record, the Eagles feature a key scorer in Elijah Causly. He poured in 23 points in 35 minutes during a loss to Columbia State on Dec. 3. His performance will be critical for a Dyersburg State offense that has struggled, failing to reach 75 points in five of its seven losses.

The visiting Tigers have faced a challenging schedule, alternating wins and losses over their last four games. They are coming off a 104-94 home loss to Holmes on Monday. Lamarcus Crawford led Northwest Mississippi in that contest with 19 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. Crawford’s recent form has been volatile, following that effort with a two-point game against Mississippi Delta after a solid outing in a win over Calhoun.

Northwest Mississippi’s offense has shown a high ceiling, scoring 113 points or more in three games this season, including the previous meeting with Dyersburg State. Chancellor Terry (17 points) and Demetrius Duffy (10 points) were also productive in the loss to Holmes.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, this contest is projected to be a nail-biter, with a predicted final score of 100-100.

For Dyersburg State, the game marks the start of a two-game homestand before breaking for the holidays. Northwest Mississippi will return home to face Meridian on Monday.