STINGRAYS TONIGHT

Opponent--Colorado Xplosion.

Time--6.

Site--McNichols Arena, Denver.

Records--Long Beach 20-14, Colorado 16-20.

Update--Long Beach probably needs another win over the Xplosion tonight to stay close to first-place Portland in the ABL West race. Portland (22-15) plays at Seattle (11-25) tonight. The StingRays have won their last three against Colorado, after Tuesday’s 78-69 victory at the Pyramid. Maura McHugh’s team needs a winning streak. After tonight, it has two straight home games--Atlanta on Sunday, New England on Tuesday. She daily reminds her players that by winning the Western Conference championship, they’d get 10 days off before the start of the ABL semifinals round Feb. 27. The schedule seems to favor Portland. Three of the Power’s last four games are on the road, but they’re all on the West Coast--at Long Beach, San Jose and Seattle. Long Beach finishes with a trip to New England, Atlanta, Columbus and Philadelphia, all in six days.