THE BASICS

• Saint Louis returns to action Friday afternoon for its first nationally televised game of the season, hosting Massachusetts for the first-of-two games between the teams this weekend.
• The Billikens and UMass will also square off Sunday at 2 p.m at Chaifetz Arena.
• Paul Burmesiter and Julianne Viani-Braen will call the action for NBCSN tomorrow afternoon.
• In a preseason vote conducted by league head coaches, SLU was pegged for a third-place finish in the conference, while UMass was picked seventh.

QUICK HITTERS

• The game will mark the 19th meeting between the two teams, with SLU leading the series 14-4. The Billikens took both encounters last season, including a 65-52 quarterfinal win in the Atlantic 10 Championship in Dayton, Ohio.
• Ciaja Harbison ranks third in the conference with 18.3 points per game. The junior recorded her 1,000th career point in last Sunday's game against Fordham.
• Myriama Smith Traore's 10.3 rebounds per game are second best in the league. The forward pulled down back-to-back double-doubles to open the season. She is one-of-three players in the A-10 who are averaging a double-double on the year.
• Junior Myia Clark is fourth on the Billikens with 9.0 points per game, while also contributing 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. She recorded her first-career double-double in the team's win over Bradley (13 points, 10 rebounds).
• Head coach Lisa Stone is in her ninth season at the helm of the Billikens, and she is just four wins shy of 650 for her career.