ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — A surging Saint Louis squad will look to continue its dominant start when it hosts a San Francisco team seeking a signature road win on Saturday at Chaifetz Arena. The Billikens (8-1) have been one of the nation’s early surprises, with their lone loss a 78-77 heartbreaker to Stanford on Nov. 28. They are coming off a 107-65 demolition of Central Michigan last Sunday, where Quentin Jones scored 19 points in just 20 minutes. Jones, a key player to watch, is averaging 15.6 points over his last five games and leads a balanced Saint Louis offense that has scored 90 or more points four times this season. San Francisco (6-4) arrives after a resilient 65-62 road victory at Mississippi State last weekend. The Dons have struggled for consistency, however, alternating wins and losses over their past six games. They will lean on guard Tyrone Riley, who erupted for 16 points and two blocks in the win at Mississippi State. Riley’s scoring has been volatile, but his defensive energy is a constant. The matchup pits Saint Louis’s high-powered offense against a San Francisco defense that has shown it can grind out results. The Dons’ four losses have all come by 10 or fewer points, indicating an ability to stay in games against tough competition. For Saint Louis, this game represents a final major non-conference test before Atlantic 10 play begins in January. For San Francisco, it’s a critical opportunity to build momentum and secure a quadrant-one victory before returning to West Coast Conference action. Saturday’s contest tips off at 5 p.m. Central Time. Saint Louis will host Bethune-Cookman next Wednesday, while San Francisco travels to face Loyola Chicago next.