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UC Irvine (10-13) at New Mexico State (11-12), 1 p.m., KUCI-FM (88.9) -- Irvine plays a rare nonconference game during Big West play, having agreed before the season to participate in the ESPN series pairing mid-major teams. Irvine stopped a seven-game losing streak Wednesday against Long Beach State. New Mexico State, a member of the Big West from 1983 to 2000, is 7-5 at home this season.

UC Santa Barbara (13-9, 7-6) at Cal State Northridge (10-12, 6-8), 3 p.m., Fox Sports Net 2, KTLK (1340) -- Santa Barbara has come up short more often than not in late-game situations, and Thursday, after a three-point home loss to Pacific, Coach Bob Williams questioned his team’s mental toughness. The Gauchos, however, have won 22 of 26 meetings against Northridge, all five since the Matadors joined the Big West. Northridge junior guard Ian Boylan, averaging 16.3 points in the last 10 games, scored 26 in the Matadors’ victory at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Cal State Fullerton (9-13, 5-8) at Utah State (21-2, 13-1), 6 p.m. -- Fullerton’s three-game winning streak ended against Idaho, but the Titans remain in contention for one of the eight spots in the Big West tournament. Utah State remained in a tie for first place Thursday as Cardell Butler made four free throws in the final 22 seconds of overtime to stave off UC Riverside.

UC Riverside (8-13, 5-8) at Idaho (11-13, 7-7), 7 p.m., KPRO (1570) -- Riverside started its tough trip by pushing league co-leader Utah State into overtime before losing. Red-hot Idaho has won six of seven and pulled into fourth place in the Big West.

Pepperdine (12-14, 7-4) at Loyola Marymount (13-11, 4-7), 7:30 p.m., KXLU-FM (88.9) -- For all its troubles this season, Pepperdine has won six of eight and is tied for second place in the West Coast Conference. Loyola will try to end an 11-game winning streak by the Waves in the series.

Eric Stephens

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WOMEN

UCLA (15-10, 10-6) at No. 10 Stanford (19-5, 12-3),

3 p.m., Fox Sports Net, KIIS (850) -- The Bruins continued their late-season charge by routing Cal on Thursday, 97-69, for their sixth consecutive victory. UCLA has lost its last nine games against Stanford.

USC (14-10, 11-5) at California 9-15, 2-13), 3 p.m. -- The Trojans may have to revise their Pac-10 regular season title aspirations after losing at Stanford on Thursday, 75-57. Second place is still possible, but so is fifth if USC stumbles today at Cal and at UCLA next week. The Bears have lost 11 in a row and there is speculation that Coach Caren Horstmeyer’s job is in jeopardy.

-- Mike Terry