TONIGHT

* SANTA CLARA (11-8, 2-2) at LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (2-15, 0-4), 7, KXLU-FM (88.9)--These WCC teams met last Saturday, with Santa Clara winning, 79-75. It was the second time in three games that Loyola lost by fewer than five points. But the fact remains, the Lions need a victory. The keys to the recent improvement in play have been junior guard Curtis Slaughter and freshman point guard Stanley Thorne. Thorne had a career-high 18 points against San Francisco last Friday, then broke it with 21 against the Broncos. Slaughter also had 21 against Santa Clara, and made five three-point baskets in each of the two games up north.