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GAME NOTES: The Butler Bulldogs and Loyola-Chicago Ramblers will open their respective Horizon League schedules tonight, as the two will face off in an intriguing early-season matchup at the Gentile Center.

Butler has won 20 consecutive Horizon League regular season games, which is one shy of its own league record set from 2007-09. However, the Bulldogs are coming off an overtime loss at home to Evansville on Saturday, which knocked the team out of the national rankings for the first time since Dec. 22, 2008. Up next on the docket for Butler is another tough matchup Saturday against top-ranked and defending national champion Duke in a rematch of last season's title game.

Loyola is a perfect 7-0 on the season, with five of those wins having come at home. The team is off to its best start since 1962-63 when it opened with 21 straight victories en route to an NCAA Championship. In their most recent outing, the Ramblers pulled off a come-from-behind 63-62 win at San Francisco on Saturday.

Butler has won four straight meetings on Loyola's home floor, and the Bulldogs have a 48-30 edge in the all-time series.

Butler's fate was decided on Saturday when Evansville's Denver Holmes buried the go-ahead three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining in overtime, snapping the Bulldogs' 18-game home winning streak. Butler led by 10 in the second half but watched that lead gradually slip away, as the team no doubt missed the presence of starting point guard Ronald Nored, who suffered a head injury in the previous game against Siena. Nored, who has started 69 of 74 career games and was last year's HL Co-Defensive Player of the Year, isn't expected to suit up against Loyola. His absence will put more pressure on senior Matt Howard, who notched his third straight double-double with game-highs of 19 points and 13 rebounds against Evansville. Howard was joined in double figures by Shelvin Mack (13 pts) and Zach Hahn (11 pts). However, it was simply an off day for the Bulldogs, as they shot just 33.3 percent as a team and committed 17 turnovers. Look for leading scorer Mack (17.2 ppg) to step up his game after shooting just 3-of-13 and committing a team-high four turnovers.

The Ramblers enter this contest as one of two unbeaten teams in the Horizon League, joining 8-0 Cleveland State. Loyola leads the league in scoring margin (+15.4), free-throw shooting (.770) and three-point shooting (.430) thanks largely to the guard tandem of Terrance Hill (13.1 ppg) and Geoff McCammon (14.4 ppg). Those two are currently the top two three-point shooters in the league, and Hill is shooting a league-best 91.7 percent at the foul line (22- of-24). Walt Gibler adds 12.6 ppg to the mix, while Jordan Hicks is scoring 12.4 ppg and Ben Averkamp is netting 10.0 ppg. Hill secured Saturday's dramatic win over San Fran with a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining, and the Ramblers survived a couple of game-winning attempts on the other end. McCammon led the way with a career-best 26 points, as Loyola regrouped after trailing for the entire opening 20 minutes for the first time all season.

Butler has won the last four Horizon League regular season titles, and for good reason. Loyola presents quite a challenge though, playing on its home floor. This one could come down to the final possession.