Tonight-Saturday, Anaheim Convention Center

TONIGHT’S FIRST ROUND

No. 8 Idaho (8-21) vs. No. 5 UC Irvine (15-12), 6, 88.9, 1370 -- Irvine capped a streaky regular season with four victories in its last five games. Greg Ethington had his best season, averaging 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds, and Ross Schraeder averaged a team-leading 13.1 points. Idaho, which has lost to Irvine twice, has lost seven in a row and 10 of 11.

No. 7 UC Santa Barbara (10-17) vs. No. 6 Long Beach State (10-19), 8:30, 1340 -- Except for league champion Pacific, Long Beach may be the league’s hottest team with seven victories in its last eight games. Point guard Kevin Houston, who struggled as a freshman and also much of this season, has been brilliant over the last month. In those eight games, he is averaging 11.9 points and 4.8 assists. The teams met five days ago, and Houston’s layup with 2.5 seconds remaining was the difference in a 58-57 victory. The Gauchos are second in the league in defense but last in scoring and field-goal shooting.

THURSDAY’S QUARTERFINALS

No. 3 Cal State Fullerton (18-9) vs. lowest-seeded remaining team, 6 p.m., Ch. 23 -- Fullerton has no depth, so the first-round bye helps. The Titans showed moxie after the midseason loss of leading rebounder and emotional leader Hardy Asprilla because of a knee injury. “I don’t think anybody looks at UOP thinking they can’t be beat,” Fullerton Coach Bob Burton said of top-seeded and tournament favorite Pacific. “I don’t think anybody is so overpowering that you say, hey, you can’t beat them.” Guard Ralphy Holmes is coming off his first career triple-double Saturday against Northridge.

No. 4 Cal State Northridge (17-12) vs. highest-seeded remaining team, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 23 -- It was this time last year that the Matadors made a stirring four-day run that ended with them falling just short of defeating Pacific for the tournament title. Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell was not happy with his team after Saturday’s 72-70 loss at Cal State Fullerton and suggested that his four seniors were thinking about that run. He was particularly incensed at the defensive effort as the Matadors’ pressure defense made only five steals.

FRIDAY’S SEMIFINALS

No. 1 Pacific (25-2) vs. lowest-seeded remaining team, 6 p.m., Ch. 23 -- With an RPI of 21, the 17th-ranked Tigers are a virtual lock for the NCAA tournament. But they also have Utah State’s semifinal loss to Cal State Northridge last season on their minds, a defeat that ultimately cost the Aggies an at-large berth despite a 25-3 record. Point guard David Doubley is the Big West player of the year, and forwards Christian Maraker and Tyler Newton along with center Guillaume Yango form an imposing front line that wears down opponents.

No. 2 Utah State (22-7) vs. highest-seeded remaining team, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 23 -- The Aggies blew out many teams -- they won 14 games by 20 points or more -- but struggled in the close ones: All of their losses were by single digits. The Aggies’ RPI of 76 and low strength of schedule mean they must win the tournament to advance.

* Championship, Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN