The Georgia Southern University men’s basketball team will travel to Cullowhee, N.C., to take on Western Carolina University at 2 p.m. this Saturday.

The Eagles have a current overall record of 9-12 and are 7-4 in the Southern Conference. WCU has been struggling recently as they are on a six-game conference-losing streak, making its SoCon record 3-7 and an overall of 9-14.

Last year the Eagles fell to the Catamounts 81-58 in Hanner Fieldhouse, but this year has already proven that the Eagles don’t hang their heads about what happened before.

MOMENTUM: The Eagles are soaring after sophomore guard Jelani Hewitt hit a three at the buzzer to defeat the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 75-72 last Saturday, giving the Eagles their second road win of the season. WCU has lost its last six conference games and its last four games overall. The Eagles will look to continue their recent conference success and use the vital win over Chattanooga as a stepping-stone for the rest of the season.

REST: WCU lost to Wofford College on Monday night and will play the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga tonight at 7 p.m. The Eagles don’t have a game all week, leaving ample time for rest and an entire week to prepare and focus for the game this Saturday. This much time off could be a great thing for the Eagles, or a nightmare. Depending on how well the team remains focused this week could play a role in how well GSU starts the game.

SHOOTING PERCENTAGE: The Eagles currently rank 64th in the country in shooting percentage at 46.6 percent. The Catamounts are 248th at only 41.8 percent. The percentages may not seem that far off, but each possession of the ball that doesn’t result in points could prove disastrous. Just ask Chattanooga, the team missed a layup with 8 seconds remaining before Hewitt made his three pointer.

ADVANTAGE: GSU

REBOUNDS: WCU averages 35.3 rebounds a game, slightly higher than the Eagles at 31.2 per game. GSU needs to grab the defensive boards and limit second-chance opportunities for the Catamounts, forcing them to make a higher percentage of their shots.

ADVANTAGE: TO CLOSE TO CALL

KEY PLAYER(S): MARVIN BAYNHAM, CAMERON BASKERVILLE

Both players need to help Eric Ferguson in the rebound statistic. Ferguson has 146 total rebounds on the season, that’s 61 rebounds higher than the next player on the list. The dirty work in the post is overlooked in a world filled with highlights of dunks (e.g. Blake Griffin) but could help decide the outcome in the game. If Baskerville and Baynham both produce on the glass and also add just a few baskets, this could be a solid victory for the Eagles.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: GSU 70-58