ON PAPER, Marjon Plymouth Raiders' BBL Championship trip to strugglers Mersey Tigers tonight (7.30pm) appears straightforward.

In reality, Raiders boss Gavin Love knows it has suddenly become anything but.

"Mersey have completely changed their roster," said Love of 4-13 Tigers, who snapped an 11-game losing streak with an 82-77 win at Guildford Heat last Sunday.

"We're really going to have to be ready."

Raiders must also overcome the loss of their captain and starting power-forward Anthony Rowe to an ankle sprain picked up in last Saturday's 100-80 defeat at Worcester Wolves.

Rowe, who is averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 28 minutes per game in the league this season, subsequently sat out last Sunday's 84-78 home win over Sheffield Sharks.

Back-up point-guard Anthony Martin is also struggling with a rib injury, which Love says Raiders are assessing 'day to day'.

Martin, who is Raiders' most creative player and averaging 4.2 assists per game in the league in 2011/12, missed the trip to Wolves and only managed six hampered minutes against Sharks.

Despite that, Love still has real options in a reduced eight-man roster, but expect him to continue to start Jamal Williams in Rowe's spot and expect James Jones to help Jeremy Bell out at point-guard.

Bell completed all 40 minutes against Sharks at the Pavilions last Sunday, but Jones led Raiders in assists with five.

Love, who never shied away from a challenge as a point-guard in his playing days, is still looking forward to tonight's trip.

He said: "All these games are tough, but that's why I love the BBL right now and that's what the fans want. It promises to be a great finish to the season."

Raiders are 10-3 and currently fourth in the league, in a bunch of three clubs chasing 15-1 leaders Newcastle Eagles.

"Every game is like a final for us right now," said Jamal Williams, who impressed defensively in 23 minutes in his first Raiders start last Sunday.

"If we want a shot at the league, every game is do or die."

Raiders cruised to back-to-back home league wins over Tigers at Christmas by 20 points, 102-82 on December 29 and by 15 points, 101-84 on January 8.

Tigers coach Tony Garbelotto has made three key changes to an eight-man rotation since.

Former Raider Sam Cricelli has arrived from Valga, Estonia to replace starting small-forward Kris Douse; Spaniard Antonio Bustamante has been recruited to run the team at point-guard; and 7ft centre Morakinyo Williams has signed to anchor Tigers' rebounding effort.

Love, at least, has a firm heads-up on, of course, Cricelli and British rookie Williams, whom he coached at the Gran Canaria Summer League in Spain last June.

"Morakinyo is a legitimate 7ft," said Love. "He's 7ft wide as well and a big unit. He's a hard worker and definitely gives them inside presence."

Cricelli is coming off Tigers' bench, but across two contests is averaging 7.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in 27 minutes per game.

He was recruited by Love last summer and made 12 appearances before leaving the club for Worcester Wolves in February, unhappy with a lack of game-time.

It goes without saying Cricelli will be out to impress tonight.

Raiders centre Paul Williams, who will concede two inches to Morakinyo Williams, said: "First of all, Mersey is a long trip and they're a good team.

"They've got new players and it won't be easy."

Paul Williams led Raiders with 25 points and 18 boards against Sharks last Sunday, helping them rebound from Saturday's heavy loss at Wolves, who led Raiders by 19 points, 39-20 early in the second quarter.

Love's team returned the favour against Sharks, whom they led by as many as 16 points, 27-11 at the start of Sunday's second frame.

"Normally we start off games badly," said Paul Williams of Raiders' recent form. "But on Sunday it was in reverse. We started really well and it was important."

Paul Williams dismissed concerns that Raiders are vulnerable on the road this season, where, in their defence, they are 6-4 in all competitions.

He added: "We just want to focus and try and get better every game, and learn from our experiences.

"We lost at Worcester – let's learn from it and move on. No-one in this world is perfect."

Love said: "We just slugged it out on Sunday and got it done.

"Two wins would have been amazing last weekend; zero would have been disastrous; one was all right.

"Worcester went with basically four shooters and shot the lights out and deserved to win – no question.

"One of my biggest concerns is turning the ball over when there's no real pressure from the defence, but it's easy to get ahead of ourselves as a club.

"When before have we beat Sheffield and it only be okay?"

Never. Raiders have gone 6-18 against Sharks in the league since joining the BBL in 2004/05.

The South Yorkshire club, who yesterday axed centre Justin Dobbins to re-sign guard Ryan Patton, swept Raiders 4-0 last season.

The only club Raiders are still to beat under Love, who was appointed coach last summer, are Eagles. Newcastle are 5-0 against Raiders under Love.

Raiders have Eagles to face at least four more times this season, including next month's two legged BBL Trophy final on March 18 and 23.

After tonight, Raiders' next contest is in the league next Friday when Eagles visit the Pavilions (7.30pm).

It will be the first time the title rivals have clashed since Eagles routed Raiders 115-94 at the BBL Cup final in Birmingham on January 15.

To say Love and his players will be up for that one would be an understatement on an almost biblical scale.

Raiders' boss added: "Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit for where we are. Yes, we have to get better but I'm happy with where we are at – 10-3 and through to two finals.

"You get greedy in sport and want to win every game and playing amazing basketball, but you can't do it.

"It's a long season and we've got a lot of games left to play."

Tigers' 6ft point-guard Bustamante, 27, has real pedigree and played a handful of games in the best league in Europe, Spain's top division, ACB.

More recently he has had two seasons in Spain's division two, LEB Gold, from 2008-10 and last season played in division three, LEB Silver.

Bustamante is averaging 6.3 assists per game in three contests for Tigers, which puts him on pace to lead the league in assists in 2011/12.

Rookie Morakinyo Williams, who hails from Birmingham, spent the first half of the season at Bratislava in the Czech Republic's top-flight.