ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — A marquee Atlantic 10 clash with major conference implications is set for Friday night when the Saint Louis Billikens host the VCU Rams at Chaifetz Arena. Saint Louis (24-2, 14-1 A-10) enters with one of the nation’s top records but is looking to rebound from a rare stumble, a 76-81 loss at Rhode Island on Tuesday that snapped a 10-game winning streak. The Billikens, whose only other loss came in nonconference play on Dec. 3, still hold a commanding position atop the league standings. VCU (21-6, 13-3) arrives as one of the hottest teams in the country, riding a nine-game winning streak. The Rams are coming off an 89-75 home victory over George Washington on Tuesday and have not lost since Jan. 10. This matchup is a rematch of a Jan. 7 meeting in Richmond, which Saint Louis won 71-62. In that game, the Billikens’ defense held VCU to its second-lowest point total of the season. A key player to watch for VCU is guard Brandon Jennings, who is averaging 10.1 points and 2.6 assists during the winning streak. He is coming off a 14-point, 3-block performance against George Washington. For Saint Louis, forward Dion Brown will be central to their effort. He scored 19 points in the loss to Rhode Island and has provided consistent scoring and defensive versatility all season. The game pits VCU’s momentum against Saint Louis’s quest to reassert its dominance at home, where the Billikens are 13-1 this season. A VCU victory would tighten the A-10 race significantly, while a Saint Louis win would solidify its hold on first place and bolster its NCAA tournament seeding resume. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST Friday. Saint Louis’s next game is at Dayton on Tuesday. VCU’s next outing is at home against Fordham on Feb. 28.