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A quick look around Atlantic 10 men's basketball and the eight games on tap for Saturday, Dec. 29.

ON TAP FOR SATURDAY (12/29)

DUQUESNE Dukes (7-6)
at PENN STATE Nittany Lions (7-4)
4:00 pm | Bryce Jordan Center | ESPN3
Series: Penn State leads 24-19
A-10 vs. Big 10: 3-3
Gamenote: This is the 44th game between the former confernece foes in a series that dates back to 1924. It's also the  final non-conference game for both schools.

MASSACHUSETTS Minutemen (7-3)
at NORTHERN ILLINOIS Huskies (2-9)
4:00 pm | Convocation Center
Series:  UMass leads 1-0
A-10 vs. MAC: 7-2
Gamenote:  UMass is looking to win five-consecutive games for the first time this season and the first time since reeling off six-straight in December of last year.

FAIRLEIGH-DICKINSON Knights (9-3)
at (RV) VCU Rams (4-6)
4:00 pm | Siegel Center | CBS 6.1
Series:  Series tied 1-1
A-10 vs. NEC: 4-4
Gamenote:  VCU has won six straight, five of which have been home and the sixth was at ODU. The Rams haven't left Virginia since Nov. 24 and won't leave again until Jan. 2 on a trip to ETSU.

DAVIDSON Wildcats (6-5)
at RICHMOND Spiders (9-4)
6:00 pm | Robins Center | CBS 6.1
Series:  Davidson leads 29-12
A-10 vs. SoCon: 7-1
Gamenote:  Richmond is 7-0 at home and 47-8 in its last 55 home games. TheSpiders are 34-4 in the last 38 non-conference home games dating back to the 2007-08 season.

XAVIER Musketeers (7-4)
at TENNESSEE Volunteers (7-3)
6:00 pm | Thompson-Boling Arena | ESPNU
Series:  Tennessee leads 10-4
A-10 vs. SEC: 5-3
Gamenote: Xavier has won nine of its last 11 games against the SEC since the 2008 season, including road wins at Florida,
Georgia, Vanderbilt, LSU and Auburn.

FORDHAM Rams (3-9)
at GEORGIA TECH Yellow Jackets (8-2)
7:00 pm | McCamish Pavilion | ESPN3
Series:  Georgia Tech leads 2-1
A-10 vs. ACC: 3-7
Gamenote:  Fordham is 19-50 all-time against current ACC members, but has won two of the past three, including last year's game with Georgia Tech.

LA SALLE Explorers (8-2)
at SIENA Saints (2-10)
7:00 pm | Times Union Center | TW Sports (NY)/Comcast Network
Series:  La Salle leads 4-3
A-10 vs. MAAC: 8-6
Gamenote:  The Explorers are off to their best start since the 1989-90 team started 9-1. The 2005-06 squad also started 8-2. Only nine teams in program history have started better.

No. 18/21 BUTLER Bulldogs (9-2)
at VANDERBILT Commodores (5-5)
8:00 pm | Memorial Gymnasium | ESPNU
Series:  Butler leads 3-0
A-10 vs. SEC: 5-3
Gamenote:  Butler is making its second-ever visit to Vanderbilt and its first since 1924-25. Andrew Smith has scored in double-figures in each game of BU's current six-game winning streak.

ON THE TUBE

Saturday, December 29
Duquesne at Penn State | 4:00 pm | ESPN3
Fairleigh Dickinson at VCU | 4:00 pm | CBS 6.1
Xavier at Tennessee | 6:00 pm | ESPNU
Fordham at Georgia Tech | 7:00 pm | ESPN3
La Salle at Siena | 7:00 pm | Time Warner Cable Sports (Upstate NY)
Butler at Vanderbilt | 8:00 pm | ESPNU

Sunday, December 30
Dayton at Southern Cal | 7:00 pm | Pac-12 Network

A-10 SCOOP

>>A-10 teams have played in overtime nine times, posting a 8-1 record and double overtime is even better. Twice a team has gone to double OT and won both times: Rhody  over Auburn, 78-72 (11/25) and UR over William & Mary, 86-78 (11/28).

>>Temple beat No. 3 Syracuse, Butler upset No. 1 Indiana, VCU and Dayton beat Alabama, in the most recent of the A-10's18 total wins this season over "big six" programs. Last year, the Atlantic 10 had 28 wins versus big six schools, including three in the postseason.

>>Temple's win over No. 3 Syracuse extended its streak to five seasons of defeating a Top 10 opponent while being unranked at the time.  It is the longest active streak in the nation.

>>VCU's three losses came against the #2 (Duke), #12 (Missouri) and #23 (Wichita State). Those three teams are a combined 32-2 this year. The three losses came by a total of 14 points.

>>The Atlantic 10 is building off of a 2011-12 season that saw a record-tying eight league teams earn a postseason bid. St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, Temple and Xavier all went to the NCAAs. Dayton, La Salle, UMass and Saint Joseph's each earned an NIT bit. Only the Big East (11) and the Big 10 (9) had more postseason teams and the SEC and PAC-12 were equal to the A-10 at eight.

FRIDAY'S (12/28) RESULTS

The Atlantic 10 had three scheduled men's basketball games Friday night. SJU and SLU picked up wins in two of those games. The third game-Detroit at Temple, was postponed due to weather.

SAINT LOUIS 68, SIU-EDWARDSVILLE 41

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Mike McCall Jr. scored a season-high 16 points to lead Saint Louis over SIU-Edwardsville 68-41 on Friday night. The 27-point margin tied the season high for Saint Louis.

McCall also had five rebounds. Dwayne Evans had 14 points, and Cory Remekun had a career-high 10 rebounds. McCall also had five rebounds for the Billikins (9-3).

Saint Louis led 36-17 at halftime. Saint Louis shot 50 percent from the field for the game, which the Cougars shot 31.9 percent.

Jerome Jones scored 15 points, and Kris Davis had 12. Derian Shaffer and Michael Messer had seven rebounds apiece for the Cougars (4-6).

Kwamain Mitchell, who missed the first two months of the season with an injury, returned to the starting lineup and tied Jordair Jett for game-high honors with five assists. Mitchell now has 350 assists for his career, overtaking Erwin Claggett and tying Jamall Walker for sixth on SLU all-time list.


SAINT JOSEPH'S 96, IONA 91

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Carl Jones netted 32 points, including the 1,500th of his career, as Saint Joseph's snapped a two-game losing streak and beat Iona 96-91 Friday night.

Jones entered with 1,499 points and became the 16th Hawk to surpass the mark. Langston Galloway added 23 points and C.J. Aiken had 22 with nine rebounds.

The 96 points were the most by Saint Joseph's (6-4) in a regulation game since beating Massachusetts 98-92 on Jan. 9, 2008.

David Laury's dunk pulled Iona (6-6) within 90-88 with 37 seconds left. Saint Joseph's made four foul shots, then Iona's Lamont Jones hit a 3-pointer to make it 94-91 with 17 seconds left.

After Aiken made two free throws, Jones missed a jumper with 10 seconds left to end the comeback try.

Jones, who entered fifth in the NCAA with 22.2 points per game, had 25 points and Laury added 21 points with 14 boards.