Advertisement

TODAY

Share

WOMEN

Arizona State (15-7, 9-4 Pacific 10) at UCLA (13-10, 8-6), 2 p.m., Pauley Pavilion, KIIS (850) -- The Bruins probably won’t win the regular-season Pac-10 championship. But by flattening 24th-ranked Arizona on Thursday, 87-68, for their fourth victory in a row, and with games left against remaining contenders Arizona State, USC and Stanford, they will have a say in which team does win it. Coach Kathy Olivier will donate $1,000 to the Mattel Childrens Hospital at UCLA if 5,000 or more fans attend today’s game against Arizona State. The Sun Devils’ five-game winning streak was ended by USC on Thursday, 65-50.

-- Mike Terry

*

MEN

UC Irvine (9-12, 4-8 Big West) at UC Riverside (7-12, 4-7), 3, Fox Sports Net 2, KPRO (1570), KUCR-FM (88.3), KUCI-FM (88.9) -- These teams envisioned far better seasons, but this matchup is critical to their chances of making the conference tournament. Irvine won the first meeting on a last-second three-point basket by Mike Efevberha, but the Anteaters have lost their last six. All five starters for Riverside scored in double figures as the Highlanders stopped a five-game losing streak Thursday by defeating Long Beach State.

*

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (8-11, 3-8) at UC Santa Barbara (12-8, 6-5), 7, KTLK (1340) -- Santa Barbara is back home, where it is 7-1, after a miserable trip to Idaho and Utah State. It lost consecutive Big West games for the first time since the 2001-02 season. No Gaucho has a double-figure scoring average, but six players average 7.4 or more. After defeating California and USC, Cal Poly has been miserable in the conference. Senior center Varnie Dennis (18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds) leads the Mustangs.

Advertisement

*

Idaho (9-13, 5-7) at Cal State Northridge (9-11, 5-7), 7 -- Both teams remained in a tie for fourth place despite losses Thursday night. Northridge guard Davin White was injured against Utah State, but Coach Bobby Braswell expects his second-leading scorer to be in the lineup. Idaho has improved dramatically over the last month. The Vandals had won four in a row before losing by six at second-place Pacific.

*

Long Beach State (6-15, 4-8) at Cal State Fullerton (8-12, 4-7), 7, KRLA (870), KWRM (1370) -- Constant turmoil hasn’t torn apart Fullerton, which is playing its best basketball since winning four of five in December. Guard David Warsaw left the team for personal reasons. He is the sixth Titan player to either leave or be dismissed. Long Beach is 1-9 away from home. Forward Anthony Coleman missed Thursday’s game against UC Riverside when the thought-to-be healed stress fracture in his left leg flared up.

*

San Diego (4-20, 1-8 West Coast) at Loyola Marymount (12-11, 3-7), 5, Fox Sports Net, KXLU-FM (88.9) -- The Lions can build some momentum against the conference doormat entering the final stretch of league games. Loyola Marymount hasn’t won two in a row in more than a month, but Thursday’s victory over Santa Clara gave it the most victories the program has had in eight seasons. Forward Sherman Gay shook off a mini-slump with 18 points.

*

Santa Clara (13-12, 5-5) at Pepperdine (11-14, 6-4), 7:30, Fox Sports Net 2 -- The Waves gained a victory Thursday by beating up on San Diego. Point guard Shaun Davis remains suspended indefinitely because of a poor attitude, but he was on the bench Thursday and vowed to accept any role assigned him by Coach Paul Westphal. Davis, a freshman, was sent home after being upset over playing 16 minutes against Gonzaga. A Pepperdine victory would strengthen its hold on third place.

-- Eric Stephens

Advertisement