PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Rhode Island Rams visit the La Salle Explorers on Saturday in an Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball matchup with teams trending in opposite directions. Rhode Island (15-11, 8-5 A-10) enters Tom Gola Arena having won three of its last four, including an 81-76 victory over Saint Louis on Tuesday. The Rams sit in the upper tier of the conference standings and are seeking to bolster their positioning for the upcoming league tournament. La Salle (7-19, 3-10), meanwhile, is mired in an eight-game losing streak. The Explorers’ last win was a 67-64 upset of Dayton on Jan. 21. Their most recent outing was a heartbreaking 62-61 loss at Duquesne on Wednesday. The Rams will be fueled by guard Jonah Hinton, who is coming off a career-high 29-point performance against Saint Louis. Over his last four games, Hinton is averaging 14.3 points. He will be supported by backcourt mate RJ Johnson, who dished out eight assists in the win over the Billikens. La Salle’s hopes will rest heavily on guard Jaden Johnson, who has been a bright spot during the skid. He is averaging 9.4 points and 5.2 assists over his last five contests, including a 16-point, 8-assist effort in a loss to Loyola Chicago on Feb. 3. This game is a rematch of a Jan. 7 meeting in Kingston, which La Salle won 79-72. In that game, the Explorers overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, handing the Rams a loss that snapped their five-game winning streak at the time. Rhode Island has shown resilience on the road this season, with notable conference wins at Dayton and Richmond. La Salle is 5-8 at home this season, with its last home victory coming on Jan. 17 against Saint Bonaventure. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EST tipoff on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Tom Gola Arena. Following this contest, Rhode Island travels to face Saint Bonaventure on Wednesday, while La Salle hosts George Washington on Tuesday.