HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana will honor a Lion legend when it hosts Southland Conference rival Houston Baptist for C.A. Core Day Saturday at 5 p.m. in the University Center.

    Core, the only All-American selection in program history and the Lions' career leader in scoring and rebounding, will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches on June 24. He will be honored during halftime of the game between the Lions (11-8 overall, 4-2 Southland) and Huskies (7-10, 3-4 Southland).

    Saturday's game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio app. LionVision subscribers will be able to access a live video stream at www.LionSports.net/watch. Live stats will also be available at www.LionSports.net.

    For Southeastern head coach Jay Ladner, Core is an example of what his current players should strive to become.

    "For someone that they are still talking about basically 50 years after he played, is just an incredible honor," Ladner said. "He represents what we are really trying to build. We need more C.A. Cores to be attracted and come to Southeastern Louisiana to play basketball and to make their mark, not only as individuals but as a team. We would love to have some of our guys up there in the rafters and have their names on a banner for people from here to eternity to remember the mark they made at Southeastern not only in basketball but as a team. They are going to remember winners and people who do something that has never been done and that takes somebody special and a special group."

    Southeastern is off to its best start in conference since the 2007-08 season and have won 15 straight games overall in Hammond, tying for the 12^th-best home winning streak in the nation through Thursday's games.

    To make it 16 straight, the Lions will have to defeat an HBU squad that has beaten them three straight times, including a 73-68 win in the second round of the 2016 Southland Tournament and an 81-74 victory in Houston back on Jan. 5. In that game, sophomore forward Moses Greenwood had 22 points and junior forward James Currington a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Lions out-rebounded the Huskies, 41-36.

    Rebounds could be a key on Saturday. HBU leads the league in offensive boards (13.8 rpg) and ranks third in rebounds (37.6 rpg) and rebounding margin (+3.4) and fourth in rebounding defense (34.2 rpg). Southeastern is second in rebounding margin at plus-4.2 in averaging 36.6 boards while allowing 32.5.

    Sophomore guard Marlain Veal leads the Lions with 13.6 points per game while ranking fifth in the conference in assists (4.4 apg). Greenwood is averaging 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds and is third in the league in field goal percentage (.590) and fifth in offensive boards a game (2.7). Junior guard Davon Hayes (12.4 ppg), Currington (8.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and junior guard Jabbar Singleton (4.4 ppg, 54 assists) are the other projected starters for Southeastern.

    The Lions are averaging 72.1 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting while ranking second in the Southland in both scoring defense (68.2 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (42.9 percent). They will be looking to contain a Huskies squad averaging 76.2 points, fourth best in the Southland, on 44.7 percent shooting. HBU is allowing 76.7 points a game.

    Senior forward Colter Lasher, who had a team-high 22 points in the earlier win over Southeastern, leads the Huskies with 14.8 points per game while recording 46 assists. Junior center Josh Ibarra is averaging 11.5 points and 7.1 rebounds and is shooting a league-best 69.4 percent in conference play. Senior forward Reveal Chukwujekwu (11.3 ppg, team-best 7.5 rpg), sophomore guard Braxton Bonds (8.1 ppg, 51 assists, 35 steals) and freshman guard Jalon Gates (5.4 ppg) are also projected to start.

    "Any time somebody beats you, that should be motivation in itself," Ladner said. "This is a team that ended our season last year and beat us earlier this season at their place. We don't have a player on our active roster that has ever beaten Houston Baptist. They cause a lot of problems with their size inside. Coach (Ron) Cotttell does a great job coaching them. They are very sound and they don't beat themselves. We're going to have to be on top of our game to be able to be competitive."

    Southeastern has won past two games, including a 79-75 win over McNeese on Sunday as Greenwood tossed in 19 points and Hayes 16. HBU will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak after losing at New Orleans, 72-64, on Thursday. Ibarra led three Huskies in double figures with 16 points while Chukwujekwu had 12 points and nine rebounds and Bonds 12 points and six steals.

    Southeastern is 3-0 at home all-time against HBU.

    The Lions wrap up a three-game homestand against Northwestern State Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.