TONIGHT

MEN

Idaho (12-14, 8-8) at Long Beach State (6-18, 4-11), 5, Fox Sports Net 2 -- The 49ers have lost seven in a row, and another defeat could all but knock them out of the Big West tournament. Long Beach made only 34.5% of its shots Thursday in falling to Utah State. Idaho is trying to hold onto fourth place, a key spot because that team will get a first-round bye in the Big West tournament in two weeks.

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Cal State Northridge (11-12, 7-8) at Pacific (19-7, 14-1), 7 -- Northridge has won four of its last six, but it has not won in three previous trips to the Spanos Center. Freshman center Thomas Shewmake is averaging 9.3 rebounds in his last nine games for the Matadors. Pacific’s 10-game winning streak is its longest since it won 16 straight in 1997-98 with former center Michael Olowokandi. Senior guard Miah Davis (14.4 points) has been the Tigers’ go-to player.

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UC Santa Barbara (14-10, 8-7) at UC Riverside (8-15, 5-10), 7, Channel 64, KPRO (1570), KTLK (1340) -- Santa Barbara moved into third place with a double-overtime victory at Fullerton Thursday and has clinched a Big West tournament berth. A victory tonight would keep the Gauchos no worse than two games up with two games left for one of the top four spots in the standings. Riverside, tied for seventh with Fullerton, is playing its last home game. The Highlanders are desperate for a victory because tiebreakers don’t favor them and they are 1-11 on the road, where they finish next week at Northridge and at Pacific.

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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (9-14, 4-11) at Cal State Fullerton (9-15, 5-10), 7 -- Both teams were extended Thursday. The Titans, who have blown late leads in 11 of their losses, lost in double overtime, 98-95, at home to Santa Barbara. San Luis Obispo center Varnie Dennis returned from a knee injury to score 31 points for the Mustangs, who ended a five-game losing streak with a 97-95 overtime win at Riverside. Fullerton hits the road next week for its final two regular-season games and needs a win tonight to split the series with San Luis Obispo, which trails the Titans by a game in the Big West standings. The Mustangs finish with two games at home next week.

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Loyola Marymount (14-12, 5-8) at San Francisco (16-13, 6-7), 7, KXLU-FM (88.9) -- Loyola played spoiler Thursday, completing a sweep of St. Mary’s this season and knocking the Gaels into third place, behind Pepperdine, in the West Coast Conference. A victory by the Lions can clinch their first winning season since 1995-96 and would put them in a three-way tie for fourth, if Santa Clara loses to Gonzaga. Forward Keith Kincade is averaging 21 points in his last three games.

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No. 24 Utah State (23-2, 15-1) at UC Irvine (11-14, 6-9), 8, ESPN2, KUCI-FM (88.9) -- Utah State jumped into first place in the Big West, one-half game ahead of idle Pacific, with its victory Thursday over Long Beach State. Irvine may have righted itself with its dramatic victory over Idaho, despite nearly blowing an 18-point halftime lead. “Something we haven’t done in the past few games is play hard in the last two or three minutes,” center Adam Parada said. It is the first nationally televised game at Irvine since 1989.

-- Eric Stephens and Paul McLeod