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UC Riverside (8-12, 5-7) at Utah State (20-2, 12-1), 7, KPRO (1570) -- Riverside is beginning to get more balanced scoring in its starting lineup. Guard Rickey Porter has averaged 14 points in the last three games to help out its leading scorers, Nate Carter and Vili Morton. “We have not had consistent support from the perimeter all year,” Riverside Coach John Masi said. Utah State, whose 17-game winning streak ended Saturday at Pacific, is 14-0 at home this season and has lost only seven games at the Smith Spectrum in the last six years.

Cal State Fullerton (9-12, 5-7) at Idaho (10-13, 6-7), 7 -- Fullerton has a season-high three-game winning streak, and its recent hot shooting coincides with the reemergence of freshman guard Bobby Brown. Brown, who remains on a pace to be the Titans’ all-time top freshman scorer, has made 10 of his last 18 shots after making 24% of his tries in league play. Fullerton made 25 of 42 of its three-point shots in its victories over UC Irvine and Long Beach State last week. Idaho has won five of six, allowing only 53 points per game during that stretch.

Cal State Northridge (9-12, 5-8) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (8-12, 3-9), 7 -- Northridge is trying to hold its seventh-place position in the Big West as its roster dwindles. Guard Terrell Jones, a freshman walk-on, got his first start against Idaho and contributed nine points and seven rebounds. Center Varnie Dennis, forward Shane Schilling and guard Kameron Gray combine for 68% of Cal Poly’s scoring, but it ranks ninth in scoring defense (71.8) and last in rebounding margin.

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Pacific (17-7, 12-1) at UC Santa Barbara (13-8, 7-5), 7, KTLK (1340) -- Inconsistent Santa Barbara has been unable to defeat the Big West’s top two teams, Pacific and Utah State. Pacific has won eight in a row to pull into a tie for first with Utah State after its 64-60 win Saturday over the Aggies. Guard Miah Davis (14.2 points) has emerged as the Tigers’ go-to player.

-- Eric Stephens

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UCLA (14-10, 9-6) at California (9-14, 2-12), 7, KIIS (850) -- The last time the Bruins saw Cal, the Bears were reeling from the death of junior forward Alisa Lewis from bacterial meningitis. Cal has not recovered from the tragedy and is in the middle of a 10-game losing streak. UCLA may sympathize, but the Bruins are on a five-game winning streak and challenging Arizona State for fourth place in the Pac-10. UCLA has a Saturday game against Stanford looming. Cal guard Nihan Anaz ranks eighth in the conference in scoring (15.0).

USC (14-9, 11-4) at No. 10 Stanford (18-5, 11-3), 7 -- When the teams met in the Sports Arena on Jan. 25, Stanford was undefeated in the Pac-10 and USC was establishing itself as a contender. The Trojans won that day and have been chasing the Cardinal ever since, to the point where only half a game separates the teams. This is the best shot Trojan senior Ebony Hoffman has had at winning a conference championship. This will heighten her duel with Stanford All-American Nicole Powell, who leads the conference in scoring and free-throw percentage, and who is second in rebounding.

-- Mike Terry

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