Tonight is the night for the men’s basketball team as it hosts Indiana State University, trying to end its four game losing streak at 7:05 p.m. in SIU Arena.

The Salukis, 9-10, 2-6, are in danger of losing their fifth consecutive game, something no Saluki team has done since the 1987-88 season, and a spot in the Missouri Valley Conference depends on the team’s ability to play well down the home-stretch of the season.

That losing streak also happened to the 1985-86 and 1986-87 teams when SIUC coach Rich Herrin took the helm of the program in 1985, and started a rebuilding process that would eventually lead to a three-peat of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship.

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The team remains optimistic, though, and sophomore guard Shane Hawkins said the team played well enough to win by shooting 48-percent from the floor Jan. 29 at Creighton.

I think it’s positive because it’s the first game in a while that we’ve finally shot the ball well, he said. For us to win, we have to shoot the ball well , but we have to do other things. We have to rebound, and last night (Jan. 29 at Creighton) was uncharacteristic of us turning the ball over 20 times. That is something we haven’t been doing, but you have to find ways to win around that, and we’re not doing that right now.

Against Creighton, the Saluki offense took a slightly different look with the addition of back-door cuts and a dominate post player, which gave SIUC 12 free-throw attempts, and added 10 points to the score something that has been missing this season.

Senior guard Jaratio Tucker has been the man at the post for the Salukis, and sophomore guard Troy Hudson added a new dimension to his game with the new back-door cuts installed by Herrin.

Both players and the team have benefited from the change, and the improved 48-percent shooting speaks for itself.

He (Tucker) is a great post-up player because he’s 6’4, and with our three guard rotation, he usually has someone who is either slower or smaller on him, Hawkins said. He’s a great player down there, and we have to take advantage of that.

Hawkins also said that the back-door cuts will help the Salukis with dribble penetration, and help the team reach the free-throw line more often.

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I think it gives an added dimension because we haven’t been getting to the free-throw line, and that’s why he (Herrin) put it in he said. (He did it) just to get us some dribble drives towards the hoop, and we’ll get to the free-throw line. We’ve been outshot mercifully from the free-throw line all year, and that’s something we have to get points from.

Against Evansville we had the same number of field goals, they go to the free-throw line, and we get beat by 12. That’s something you have to have. You have to score inside, outside, and from the free-throw line

Hawkins said the team has not lost its intensity through the losing streak, and confidence and execution are the keys to a Saluki victory.

We were fired up last night (at Creighton), and we’ve been ready to play every night, Hawkins said. Last night’s effort was great. You can’t complain about the effort that was there. I think it’s executing, and finding a way to win. We know we’re struggling right now, and maybe instead of thinking we can win down the stretch, maybe we were thinking we’ve lost three in a row, how are we going to lose this one.’ I think the effort was there, and that’s a positive.