MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Interstat) — Two men’s college basketball teams seeking to halt December slides will meet Monday night when the Memphis Tigers host the Alabama State Hornets at FedExForum. Both programs enter the nonconference matchup on losing streaks. Memphis (4-7) has dropped three straight, including a 71-66 road loss at Mississippi State on Saturday. Alabama State (3-8) has lost five consecutive games, most recently a 51-88 defeat at Cincinnati on Dec. 17. The Tigers will look to guard Dug McDaniel to ignite their offense. The standout has averaged 14.2 points and 5.3 assists per game, including an 18-point, 4-assist performance in an overtime loss to Vanderbilt last week. His playmaking will be central against a Hornets defense that has allowed an average of 80.5 points during its losing skid. Alabama State, which last won on Nov. 21 against IUPUI, will rely on guard Cam Palesse. He has been a consistent minutes leader, averaging over 32 per game in the last five contests, though scoring has been a team-wide struggle. The Hornets were held to 51 points at Cincinnati, their lowest output of the season. Memphis holds a distinct home-court advantage, having won three of its four victories this season at FedExForum, including an impressive 78-71 win over Baylor on Dec. 6. Alabama State is 0-7 on the road this season, with those losses coming by an average margin of 18.7 points. Historically, this is a rare meeting between the programs. For Memphis, it represents a final tune-up before American Athletic Conference play begins in January. For Alabama State, it is another challenging road test before Southwestern Athletic Conference action starts next month. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Monday. Memphis will conclude its nonconference schedule at home against North Texas on Dec. 31. Alabama State visits Mississippi State on Dec. 29.