TONIGHT

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BIG WEST CONFERENCE

Long Beach State (7-18, 4-10) at Utah State (19-7, 10-5), 6 PST -- Long Beach State has won four in a row but is facing the team that won, 75-44, in their first meeting Jan. 29 at the Pyramid. Long Beach point guard Kevin Houston continues to play well, scoring 15 points in Monday’s overtime win over UC Davis. Utah State is coming off a loss at Cal State Fullerton to fall one game behind Cal State Northridge for second place.

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UC Irvine (12-11, 5-9) at Idaho (8-18, 6-9), 7 PST, KUCI-FM (88.9), KWRM (1370) -- Irvine is making its final trip to Idaho for a Big West game, as the Vandals are leaving the conference after this season. The Anteaters have won nine of the last 10 games in the series, including a 71-70 decision at home last month. Junior Jeff Gloger, who has flourished in playing the wing and point guard spots, needs two assists to surpass Jerry Green as the school’s all-time steals leader. Green had 162 from 1998-2002. Idaho is in a 1-7 tailspin that has seen it fall to sixth place, half a game above the Anteaters.

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UC Riverside (9-15, 4-10) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (4-19, 2-12), 7, KPRO (1570) -- Rickey Porter’s twisting layup at the buzzer to defeat Idaho Saturday kept Riverside in the hunt for the eighth and final spot in the Big West tournament. Cal Poly got one of its two league wins at Riverside last month, the Mustangs’ only road victory.

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Cal State Fullerton (15-8, 9-5) at UC Santa Barbara (9-14, 6-8), 7, KVMD (Ch. 23), KIST (1340) -- Fullerton needs one victory to clinch fourth place and a first-round bye in the Big West tournament. Guard Jermaine Harper, who has run hot and cold with his outside shooting, continues to log plenty of minutes because of his strong defense and the Titans’ lack of depth. Harper limited Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll to five shots and nine points in Saturday’s 64-60 victory.

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-- Eric Stephens