COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TONIGHT’S GAMES

PACIFIC 10 CONFERENCE

No. 19 UCLA (15-4, 8-2) at ARIZONA ST. (12-8, 5-6), 6:30 p.m.

TV--None. Radio--KMPC (710).

Like a lot of other winter visitors to Arizona, UCLA returned from the desert last February with a burn. Upset at Arizona State, the Bruins were defeated two days later at Arizona, 102-64, the worst loss in their history. “We just took the weekend off,” Coach Jim Harrick said. A similar weekend this year probably would eliminate the Bruins from contention for the Pacific 10 Conference championship. Arizona State has equaled its victory total of last season, when it was 12-16 and ended the season with five consecutive losses after beating UCLA. The Sun Devils, 62-53 losers last month at Pauley Pavilion, have won their last three games, and last week welcomed back guard Matt Anderson, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last month and wasn’t expected to return until next week. His knee was still swollen Wednesday, though, and he hasn’t practiced this week. Forward Alex Austin is averaging 18.8 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Against UCLA last month, he scored 31 points.

USC (7-10, 2-8) at No. 22 ARIZONA (14-4, 8-3), 6:30.

TV--None. Radio--KNX (1070).

Arizona’s backcourt has been depleted by injuries. Guard Harvey Mason underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Mason was hurt when he planted his knee during a scrimmage Tuesday. Reserve guard Matt Othick has a sprained right ankle and is questionable for the game. Arizona Coach Lute Olson said he may move forward Jud Buechler to guard and start Wayne Womack in place of Buechler. The Wildcats are difficult to defeat at home, where they’ve won 42 consecutive games. “It’s the toughest place to play in the league,” USC Coach George Raveling said. USC guard Robert Pack is questionable with a shoulder injury. Raveling expects Arizona to defend against guard Harold Miner with a box-and-one defense. The last seven Trojan opponents have used the box-and-one against Miner. “I need to sit down and write all the coaches in the league a thank-you note for playing us a box-and-one because I think it’s helped us tremendously,” Raveling said. “I think it’s helped make Miner a better basketball player. It’s taught Harold to move without the ball.”

BIG WEST CONFERENCE

UC SANTA BARBARA (15-5, 8-3) at CS LONG BEACH (13-6, 6-5), 7:30.

TV--SportsChannel. Radio--KORG (1190), 8:30.

Cal State Long Beach has lost five consecutive games to the Gauchos, including an 82-67 defeat Jan. 13 at Santa Barbara. In that game, forwards Eric McArthur and Gary Gray combined for 41 points and 28 rebounds. McArthur leads the nation in rebounding with an average of nearly 14 and is also averaging 16.7 points. Guard Carrick DeHart has made 45% of his three-point shots. Long Beach, which has has lost four of its last seven games, is led by guard Lucious Harris (12.7 points a game).

CS FULLERTON (12-8, 6-5) at FRESNO STATE (8-11, 3-7), 7:30.

TV--None. Radio--KMNY (1600).

Fullerton’s Cedric Ceballos played every minute of two overtime games and all but four minutes of a third game last week, averaging 28.7 points and 13.7 rebounds. Fullerton won two and lost one of those games, and Coach John Sneed said he hopes this is the start of a run similar to the Titans’ late-season rally last year, when they won eight of 10 games. Tied for fourth place in the Big West Conference with Cal State Long Beach, Fullerton has an opportunity to move up in the standings with a two-game trip to Fresno State and Pacific, teams in the second division. Fresno State’s only Big West Conference victories have come against the ninth- and 10th-place teams, San Jose State and UC Irvine, a team Fresno State beat twice. Fullerton beat Fresno State, 73-65, last month but the Bulldogs trimmed a 25-point deficit to eight. Wilbert Hooker, who averages 16.2 points, is the Bulldogs’ leading scorer.

UC IRVINE (2-18, 0-11) at NEW MEXICO STATE (18-2, 9-1), 6:30.

TV--None. Radio--KORG (1190).

Bill Mulligan, Irvine’s coach, says New Mexico State is as good as Nevada Las Vegas. UNLV is 10-1 and leads the conference, the Aggies are second. Irvine, which has lost a school-record 13 consecutive games, is in last place. New Mexico State is coming off a 104-91 victory over Cal State Long Beach Saturday. James Anderson, the Aggies’ leading scorer with an average of 14.2 points, returns to the lineup after missing the Long Beach game to attend his grandmother’s funeral in East Chicago, Ind.