JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — After a lengthy three-game road trip, the Jax State men's basketball team gets to return home to Pete Mathews Coliseum to take on a familiar foe in the Kennesaw State Owls on Saturday night.

During the road trip, Jax State picked up two wins over FIU and Western Kentucky and dropped one game to Missouri State on Jan. 31. Currently, the Gamecocks are tied for third place with the Bears in the Conference USA standings with the postseason just over a month away.

Jax State is coming off its most recent victory over the Hilltoppers on Thursday night and has a quick turnaround back to action this weekend. Saturday's contest will be the first of three straight home games for Jax State and the second match-up between the teams this season.

In the first match-up between the Gamecocks and the Owls on Jan. 10, Kennesaw State came away with the victory in a high-scoring 88-82 victory on its home floor. The contest marks the highest point total Jax State has both scored and given up in conference play so far this season.

Coming into this weekend, the Gamecocks boast one of the best defenses in the league so far, holding teams to just 66.6 points per game, shooting 40 percent from the field. Jax State also holds its opponents to just 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc, which is the best in Conference USA.

Head coach Ray Harper's squad will need its defensive prowess on Saturday, as the Owls boast the top scoring offense in the conference, averaging 86.5 points per game, which ranks No. 19 in the country. Additionally, Kennesaw State ranks second in the league in three-pointers made per game with 9.8 makes from the perimeter.

Mostapha El Moutaouakkil is the leading offensive catalyst for the Gamecocks, ranking third in the league in scoring with 18.1 points per game. Iaroslav Niagu has also been a recent bright spot for Jax State, scoring 13 points against Missouri State and then following it up with a career-high 19 points in his last outing against Western Kentucky, along with grabbing 12 boards for his first career double-double.

The Owls hold a 14-8 overall record with a 6-5 Conference USA record and have won their last two contests in a row at home, defeating Western Kentucky and then New Mexico State last Saturday. On the road, however, Kennesaw State is just 1-5 in conference play, including dropping its last two away games to Louisiana Tech and Sam Houston.

RJ Johnson has been the offensive leader for the Owls recently, scoring 20 points or more in four of his last six games, including a 31-point performance against Western Kentucky and a 32-point outing against Sam Houston.

The match-up will feature a vast discrepancy in tempo from both teams as well, as the Owls rank No. 15 in the country in adjusted tempo according to KenPom, while the Gamecocks rank No. 303.

Jax State has dropped its last five contests in a row to Kennesaw State, with its last victory over the Owls coming on March 3, 2022, in Jacksonville. Overall, Kennesaw State leads the series 8-2 between the two squads.

Saturday's game is AmFirst Kid's Day at Pete Mathews Coliseum and will be televised on ESPN+.