TONIGHT

MEN

No. 3 Connecticut (23-8 last season) at Pepperdine (17-14 last season), 8:30, ESPNU --The Huskies are playing their first true road season opener since 1984-85. Connecticut is 2-0 against Pepperdine, with both wins coming in 1988.

Long Beach State (10-20 last season) at Nevada Las Vegas (7-14 last season), 7:30 -- The teams haven’t faced each other since 1996, when UNLV was a Big West Conference member. Long Beach State has lost its last three season openers.

Loyola Marymount (11-17 last season) at Brigham Young (9-21 last season), 6 PST -- LMU returns 12 of 13 players under new Coach Rodney Tention. The Cougars had gone to five consecutive postseason tournaments before last season.

WOMEN

UCLA (16-12 last season) at No. 6 Baylor (1-0), 5 PST, Fox Sports Net -- The Bears will unfurl their 2004-05 NCAA Division I championship banner before the game. Baylor, in possession of a 21-game winning streak, came back from an 18-point second-half deficit to defeat Georgia on Sunday in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic. Bear senior forward Sophia Young, who should contend for national player of the year honors, had 30 points in the victory. UCLA guard Nikki Blue, who was limited by back spasms in the team’s final exhibition game Sunday, is expected to play against Baylor.

Fullerton (8-20 last season) at Colorado (9-19 last season), 5 PST -- The Titans, who last played Colorado in 1988, have lost all three games against the Buffaloes. First-year Colorado Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller has four returning starters to lean on.

Fresno State (20-11 last season) at Irvine (8-21 last season), 7 -- Junior guard Angie Ned led the Anteaters in scoring last season (16.1). Adrian Wiggins, who inherited the Bulldogs with three weeks left in last season, remains the Fresno State coach on an interim basis.

Long Beach State (19-9 last season) at Texas Christian (23-10 last season), 5 PST -- This should be a good early measuring stick for the 49ers. The Horned Frogs are 27-14 at home in November.

San Diego (9-19 last season) at Riverside (16-13 last season), 7 -- Highlander Coach John Margaritis is rebuilding around 6-1 sophomore center Kemie Nkele, last year’s Big West freshman and defensive player of the year. First-year Torero Coach Cindy Fisher already has a big loss: 6-5 sophomore center Amber Sprague is gone for the season because of a broken left foot.

Loyola Marymount (16-13 last season) at Arizona (20-12 last season), 7:30 PST -- The Lions, the preseason pick to win the West Coast Conference, meet the first of eight scheduled teams that played in a postseason tournament last year. The Wildcats are playing their first regular-season game since the death of senior center Shawntinice Polk in September.

Pepperdine (12-17 last season) at Washington State (6-22 last season), 7 -- Both teams are eager for fresh starts after struggling through the 2004-05 season. The Waves won the only previous meeting between the teams back in 1983. Washington State Coach Sherri Murrel played at Pepperdine from 1988-90.

-- MIKE TERRY