TONIGHT
MEN
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (7-8, 3-3) at UC Santa Barbara (7-9, 4-2), 7, KEYT (1250) -- Cal Poly, 2-5 on the road, has yet to prove that it can win a Big West game away from home. UC Santa Barbara appears to be on a roll now that leading scorer Branduinn Fullove has healed from a groin injury. Fullove averaged 16 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds last week in victories over Northridge and Pacific. Santa Barbara is 5-1 at home and a game behind first-place UC Irvine in the standings.
Cal State Fullerton (5-11, 3-3) at Utah State (14-4, 5-2), 6 PST -- With injuries and a suspension, Fullerton had only seven players available in Thursday’s 56-49 loss at Idaho. Senior center Babacar Camara, who injured an ankle Dec. 21, will attempt to redshirt, Titan Coach Donny Daniels said. Meanwhile, Titan center Pape Sow has asked to be reinstated. Daniels suspended Sow Dec. 17 after Sow was arrested on charges that he stole a knit cap from the campus bookstore. Sow pleaded guilty Jan. 2. A decision is expected by the end of next week.
Long Beach State (2-13, 1-5) at Pacific (8-7, 3-3), 7, KRLA (870) -- Pacific has lost three straight. So, what better way to end a tailspin than to have last-place Long Beach come to town, right? The 49ers are 0-for-the-road in eight trips this season. Nevertheless, Long Beach holds a seven-game winning streak against Pacific and has won three in a row at the Spanos Center, where Pacific has lost only 19 times since it opened in 1981.
UC Irvine (11-4, 5-1) at Cal State Northridge (8-8, 2-4), 7, KUCI-FM (88.9) -- Irvine, which has won 35 of its last 42 Big West games, has won four in a row and eight of its last nine games overall this season and sits alone in first place in the standings, a half-game ahead of Utah State. Irvine has used seven starting lineups. Nine Anteaters are averaging at least 5.1 points a game and 10 are averaging at least 13 minutes of playing time. Northridge ended a six-game losing streak with back-to-back victories over San Luis Obispo and Long Beach. Ian Boylan leads Northridge in scoring (15.6 points) and rebounding (4.8).
UC Riverside (3-9, 2-4) at Idaho (7-9, 3-4), 7, KPRO (1570) -- Idaho is 4-4 over its last eight games but has won two in a row at home after beating Fullerton, 56-49, on Thursday. Tyrone Hayes, who scored 17 points against Fullerton, leads the Vandals in scoring (13.4 points) and rebounding (6.9). Riverside’s lone road win in eight tries came at Fullerton Jan. 18, 47-41. Highlander Coach John Masi said he is looking forward to ending this trip because Riverside plays its final 11 games in California, including seven at home.
Pepperdine (10-7, 2-2) at Loyola Marymount (7-12, 1-3), 7:30, Fox Sports Net 2 -- This rivalry covers 62 years and 133 games. But lately it’s been all Waves, as Pepperdine has won the last eight meetings. The Waves, who have been thinned out by injuries, have the kind of dichotomy few coaches want; they lead the West Coast Conference in scoring (79.9) but are last in points allowed (80.4). Senior forward Jimmy Miggins sets the pace for Pepperdine at 15.8 points a game. Loyola Marymount had lost eight of nine before defeating Santa Clara last Sunday. Charles Brown and Brandon Worthy are the leading scorers at 11.3 and 11.0 points respectively.
Paul McLeod
WOMEN
Pepperdine (12-5, 4-0) at Loyola Marymount (10-7, 2-2), 5 -- Pepperdine, which leads the conference by 1 1/2 games over Santa Clara, expected to be relatively healthy by this point after its roster was depleted by preseason injuries. But the pain continues for the Waves, having lost leading scorers Shandrika Lee (17.6) to a torn ligament in her right knee and Damaris Hinojosa (10.5) with a broken toe during the past three weeks. Nonetheless, Pepperdine brings a season high four-game winning streak into tonight’s game. The Lions’ hopes for a quick start in West Coast Conference play were dashed by road losses last week to San Diego and Santa Clara. But home has been good to Loyola, where the Lions have won their last 10 games dating to the 2001-02 season. The last team to beat Loyola Marymount at home? Pepperdine, 67-62, last Feb. 2. Claudine Auld leads the Lions in scoring (12.6).
-- Mike Terry