HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After taking an 11-day break for the Christmas holiday, the Southeastern Louisiana University basketball team returns to action on Wednesday when it faces Savannah State in the USM Hardwood Club Holiday Classic at Reed Green Coliseum.

Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net. Southeastern (5-4) and Savannah State (1-13) will open the tournament before host Southern Miss (9-2) faces Mississippi Valley State (1-10) at 7 p.m.

The winners of Wednesday's games will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. for the tournament championship with the consolation game scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Looking to snap a two-game losing streak, Southeastern will play its fifth of seven consecutive games away from the University Center. Southeastern has dropped three of its last four games – including contests at nationally-ranked opponents UCF and Vanderbilt – and dropped a 59-38 decision at SEC opponent Alabama on Dec. 15. Three of Southeastern's four losses during the season have come to teams currently ranked in the top 30 in the country, including a setback at UNLV on Nov. 17.

Senior Trent Hutchin leads Southeastern in scoring at 15.3 points per game followed by Gary Dixon (10.6), David Ndoumba (9.8) and Brandon Fortenberry (9.4). Roosevelt Johnson (7.9) and freshman Antonnio Benton (5.0) are next in scoring for the Lions, who average 72.8 points per game.

Ndoumba paces the Lions on the glass with 7.2 rebounds per game along with 2.0 blocks. Fortenberry (3.3) and Deshawn Patterson (3.0) pace Southeastern in assists while Dixon averages a team-high 1.4 steals for the Lions.

The game against SSU will mark the first-ever meeting between the schools in men's basketball. The Tigers, a provisional member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, have lost their last 13 contests since a season-opening 61-33 win over Brewton Parker College on Nov. 12.

SSU has dropped contests at Dayton, Cincinnati, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Arkansas State in its recent slide and have lost five games by seven points or less.

Jovonni Shuler leads the Tigers in scoring at 17.3 points per game with Preston Blackmon (11.5) and Joshua Montgomery (9.2) next. Jyles Smith paces SSU with 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.