TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Defiance College meet in a battle of first place teams in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball standings on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Hulbert Arena.

The Fightin' Engineers have won seven consecutive games to improve to 8-4 on the season and 4-1 in conference play.  Defiance has captured five straight wins to move to 9-3 overall and 4-1 in league games.

Rose-Hulman has relied on a strong defensive effort by allowing just 57.0 points per game over its seven-game winning streak.  The Fightin' Engineers have enjoyed a strong 2015 portion of the schedule, with road wins over Bluffton 62-53 and Earlham 80-57 in the John Mutchner Cup Game.

Four Fightin' Engineer starters currently average double figures in scoring.  Senior Corey Povaleri leads the balanced attack at 11.3 points per game.  Juniors Matt Loesing and Jimmy Miller each score 10.3 points per contest in the frontcourt, and junior Tyler Duffy adds 10.0 points per contest.

Sophomore Wade Stallings rounds out the projected starting lineup with an average of 4.3 points per game.  Sophomore Collin Wojcik leads the reserves at 7.8 points per contest.

Defiance features two of the leading scorers in the HCAC to lead a lineup that features four senior starters.  Bernard Edwards (18.8 ppg) and Travis Schoemaker (15.8 ppg) lead the offense, with Mason Roth (7.2 ppg) and Kent Tietje (4.8 ppg) providing more senior leadership.  Junior Wade Wooley (3.9 ppg) rounds out the projected lineup.

The Yellow Jackets have defeated Hanover 58-51 and Anderson 89-79 during the 2015 portion of their non-conference schedule.  Defiance's most impressive early season win was a 67-65 home victory over perennial power Wheaton (Ill.).

After Saturday's game, Rose-Hulman returns to action at in-state rival Franklin College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.