NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Southeastern Louisiana will have its final test before starting Southland Conference play when the Lions visit Notre Dame Thursday at 6 p.m. (Central Time) at Purcell Pavilion.

    The game between the Lions (6-6) and Fighting Irish (9-3) will be streamed live by ACC Network Extra. It can also be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio app. Live stats, provided by Notre Dame, will be accessible on the Southeastern men's basketball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.

    This will be the first time Southeastern and Notre Dame have met on the hardwood.

    The Lions will be out to break a two-game losing streak and gain momentum heading into its Southland opener against Stephen F. Austin next Thursday in the University Center. Southeastern is coming off an 82-74 loss at in-state rival on Tuesday. Junior guard Marlain Veal led four Lions in double figures with 23 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Junior forward Moses Greenwood contributed 14 points while senior forwards Jordan Capps had 12 and James Currington 11. Currington also had a career-high four steals. Southeastern shot 51.9 percent from the field, including 68 percent (17-of-25) in the second half.

    Notre Dame received a career-high 37 points from preseason All-America senior forward Bonzie Colson in a 97-87 victory over Dartmouth on Tuesday. Senior guard Matt Farrell added 22 points while senior forward Martinas Geben and junior guard Rex Pflueger had 13 apiece. The Irish shot 57.6 percent overall and won the rebounding battle, 35-25.
 
NOTES
Southeastern
    Southeastern is averaging 74.2 points on 44.9 percent shooting overall, including 35.6 percent on 3-pointers.
 
    Southeastern is giving up 71.8 points per contest. Opponents are shooting 45.4 percent, including 35.0 percent on 3s.
 
    The Lions are both averaging and allowing 34.7 rebounds a game.
 
    Veal leads the conference in assists per game (5.3) while also tying for ninth in steals per contest (2.0). He is 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.5) and 17th in scoring (12.8 ppg). Senior forward Jordan Capps is also averaging 12.8 points per game while ranking seventh in field goal percentage (.545) and tying for 14th in blocked shots (0.8 bpg).
 
    Currington (8.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg) ranks eighth in the league in field goal percentage at 52.3 percent. Greenwood is 10th in rebounding (6.4) while averaging 8.8 points per game. Senior guard Jabbar Singleton (7.2 ppg, 29 assists) is 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (.390). Senior guard Eddy Polanco (9.0 ppg) is 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (.385) and 10th in free throw percentage (.795).
 
    The five of Veal, Capps, Singleton, Currington and senior guard Joshua Filmore (9.1 ppg, 17 assists) have started the past three games for the Lions.
 
    Southeastern is playing in Indiana for the second time this season. The Lions lost 83-50 at Valparaiso on Nov. 19.
 
Notre Dame
    Notre Dame opened the season ranked 14^th in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll and moved to as high as No. 5. The Irish fell out of both polls this week after losing to Indiana, 80-77, in overtime last Saturday.
 
    Notre Dame went 26-10 in 2016-17, reaching the championship game of the ACC Tournament and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Three starters and 10 letterwinners return from that squad.
 
    Notre Dame is averaging 82.0 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting, including 41.5 percent on 3-pointers – 16^th best in the country. The Irish are also shooting 75.6 percent from the line after leading the nation a year ago.
 
    Notre Dame is allowing 67.5 points on 41.2 percent shooting, including 33.7 percent on 3s.
 
    The Irish rank seventh in the nation with just 9.4 turnovers per game. They are also 13^th in assist-turnover ratio (1.56) and 14^th in fewest turnovers (113).
 
    Notre Dame is averaging the second-fewest fouls per game in the country (13.4).
 
    Colson leads the ACC and ranks 21^st in the country with 21.8 points per game. He is also the conference leader and 11^th nationally with 7.8 defensive rebounds per game and is averaging 9.8 overall. He is seventh in the country with seven double-doubles while also leading the leading the league and ranking 26^th in the nation with 26 steals.
 
    Farrell has a team-high 66 assists while averaging 16.8 points. Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs is also averaging in double figures at 14.1 points per game.
 
    Notre Dame has used the same starting lineup in each of its previous 12 games – Colson, Farrell, Gibbs, Geben (8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Pflueger (8.0 ppg).
 
    Mike Brey is in his 18^th season as head coach at Notre Dame.
 
    The Irish are 7-0 against current Southland Conference members – 3-0 versus New Orleans, 2-0 against Sam Houston State and 1-0 against both Nicholls and Stephen F. Austin.
 
QUOTES:
Southeastern head coach Jay Ladner:
On the final pre-conference test for his team…
"This is a team that has been in and out of the top 10 and is highly nationally regarded. This will be our toughest test. We have to come in here off a quick turnaround from a really, really hard-fought game Tuesday night. I thought our guys for the most part played pretty well, other than that one stretch there at the end of the first half. We're clicking on offense pretty well. We certainly have to have our best effort here to be able to compete with Notre Dame."
 
On the keys for the Lions…
"I think we have to defend and rebound. I think if we do that, offensively we have enough firepower to be able to score. Our issue is whether we will be able to slow them down. They are averaging over 80 points per game with Farrell and Colson. It will be a good test for us, a good measuring stick, and I'm looking forward to it."
 
UP NEXT:
   Southeastern opens Southland Conference play Thursday against Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. in the University Center. The Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office and Southeastern Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will collect non-perishable food items at the Gate 3 entrance to the University Center. The items will be donated to the Tangi Food Pantry, a non-profit organization that provides nutritious groceries to over 44,000 individuals and families in need.