TONIGHT

MEN

St. Mary’s (15-5 overall, 2-1 in West Coast Conference) at Pepperdine (12-7, 2-2), 7, CSTV -- Both teams were picked to challenge Gonzaga in the WCC but both are coming off lopsided defeats. Pepperdine allowed Gonzaga to shoot 60% from the field in an 86-62 victory at Spokane, Wash. St. Mary’s had winning streaks of nine overall and 12 at home until Santa Clara left Moraga on Saturday with a 65-42 victory. The Waves are getting little consistent contribution from anyone besides forwards Glen McGowan and Yakhouba Diawara and guard Alex Acker.

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Santa Clara (9-9, 2-1 in WCC) at Loyola Marymount (9-8, 1-3), 7, KXLU-FM (88.9) -- After losing at Gonzaga on Thursday, Loyola’s shooting woes continued Sunday at Portland, where the Lions shot 36.4% from the field. Santa Clara may be as dangerous -- and erratic -- as any team on the West Coast. The Broncos had early-season victories over North Carolina and Stanford, then slumped mightily in December before rebounding with consecutive one-sided wins over Portland and St. Mary’s.

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Cal State Northridge (8-7, 6-1 in Big West Conference) at UC Santa Barbara (6-8, 3-3), 7, KTLK (1340) -- Northridge will try to win its seventh in succession, which it hasn’t done since the 2000-01 team won the Big Sky championship and went to the NCAA tournament. The Matadors have lost five in a row at Santa Barbara and haven’t won there since 1981. Northridge guard Davin White is averaging 15.1 points and shooting 43.9% from three-point range in Big West play. The Gauchos will have to solve Northridge’s 1-3-1 zone trap.

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UC Riverside (6-8, 2-3 in Big West) at Idaho (5-11, 3-2), 7, KPRO (1570) -- Center Vili Morton’s season-ending knee injury last week seems to have galvanized the Highlanders. Riverside scored important victories over UC Irvine and Long Beach State last week. Junior Klaus Schille stepped up big in Morton’s absence with 11 points against Irvine and a career-high 17 against Long Beach. The Vandals have won the last five meetings between the teams, including a 66-58 victory last March in the Big West tournament quarterfinals.

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Cal State Fullerton (8-5, 3-2 in Big West) at Utah State (11-5, 2-3), 6 -- Starting forward Hardy Asprilla’s season-ending knee injury will be an obstacle that Fullerton must figure how to overcome. The Titans didn’t do what Asprilla does best, defense and rebounding, in losing to Irvine on Saturday. Utah State was stung by close road losses to Pacific and Northridge last week. Fullerton hasn’t won at the Smith Spectrum since 1982 and has lost 20 of its last 22 meetings with the Aggies.

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Long Beach State (2-13, 0-6 in Big West) at UC Irvine (7-6, 2-4), 7, KVMD (Ch. 23), KUCI-FM (88.9), KWRM (1370) -- Irvine responded well in its 97-81 victory at Fullerton after a team meeting was held following a loss at Riverside. Guard Jeff Gloger, who moved from the point to the wing this season, had one of the best games in his career against Fullerton with a personal-best 20 points and seven rebounds. The 49ers have lost six in a row and have not won on the road since Jan. 29 at Idaho, a span of 14 games.

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-- Eric Stephens

WOMEN

No. 25 UCLA (11-5, 5-2 in Pacific 10 Conference) at No. 5 Stanford (15-2, 6-1), 7, Maples Pavilion -- Candice Wiggins, Stanford’s outstanding freshman forward, is the third-leading scorer in the Pac-10, averaging 17 points. Bruin Coach Kathy Olivier said junior Ortal Oren would replace the injured Noelle Quinn in the starting lineup.

USC (12-4, 6-1 in Pac-10) at California (8-8, 2-5), 7, Haas Pavilion -- The Trojans are on a six-game winning streak, their best since 1994-95. USC has lost its last two games with the Golden Bears at Berkeley. Forward Leigh Gregory is Cal’s leading scorer, averaging 12.4 points.

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-- Mike Terry