MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — A surging SIU Edwardsville squad looks to rebound from a tough overtime loss when it visits struggling Western Illinois in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball matchup Monday at Western Hall. The Cougars (7-5) enter with a winning record, having won four of their last six games. Their most recent outing was a 76-72 overtime defeat at Eastern Illinois on Thursday. In that game, guard Ring Malith scored 23 points, continuing a dominant stretch. Over his last five games, Malith is averaging 21.8 points, including a 31-point outburst in a win at North Florida on Dec. 2. His backcourt play will be central to SIUE’s efforts. Western Illinois (4-8) seeks consistency after a 92-76 loss at Lindenwood on Thursday. The Leathernecks have dropped five of their last seven, with the two wins in that span coming against non-Division I opponents Hannibal-La Grange and St. Ambrose. A bright spot has been the recent play of guard Antwaun Massey, who erupted for a career-high 33 points in the loss to Lindenwood. However, Massey was held to single digits in three of his four preceding games. The game represents the conference opener for both teams. SIUE will rely on its more balanced recent form, which includes a decisive win over North Florida and a narrow road loss at Drake. Western Illinois, meanwhile, has struggled against high-major and strong mid-major competition, suffering lopsided losses to Drake, Iowa and Coastal Carolina. Defensively, the Cougars will aim to contain Massey while exploiting a Western Illinois defense that has allowed an average of 85.3 points in its eight losses. The Leathernecks must find an answer for Malith and improve their perimeter defense to slow an SIUE offense averaging 76.2 points per game. Monday’s contest kicks off a critical conference stretch for both programs as they navigate the OVC schedule. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST.