TONIGHT

MEN

UC Irvine (20-8, 13-4) at Long Beach State (12-16, 8-9), 5:30, Fox Sports Net 2, KUCI-FM (88.9)--Irvine is guaranteed the No. 2 spot in the Big West Conference tournament next week and can gain the No. 1 seeding if the Anteaters win and Utah State loses twice. Irvine has won 20 games for the second consecutive season, the first time that has happened in school history. Long Beach’s 83-80 overtime victory against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo extended the 49ers’ winning streak to four games. Long Beach is in seventh place, but could potentially finish in a five-way tie for fifth and end up seeded fourth.

Idaho (9-16, 6-10) at Cal State Northridge (10-15, 9-7), 7--A sub-.500 overall record notwithstanding, Northridge is in a three-way tie with UC Santa Barbara and Pacific for third place in the Big West Conference and, with two regular-season games to go, still has a shot at a top-four seeding for next week’s conference tournament. The Matadors may have to earn it without their second-leading scorer and best three-point shooter, guard Curtis Slaughter, who has a stress fracture in his right leg. Northridge edged Idaho, 57-56, in the teams’ first meeting on Dec. 22.

Cal State Fullerton (4-21, 1-15) at UC Santa Barbara (15-10, 9-7), 7, KWRM (1370)--Fullerton is hoping to break a nine-game losing streak against Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is in a third-place tie with Cal State Northridge and Pacific. Branduinn Fullove is averaging 14.3 points a game for the Gauchos.

UC Riverside (8-16, 5-11) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (14-10, 8-8), 7, KPRO (1570)--Riverside is not eligible for the Big West tournament this season, but the Highlanders could still impact the seedings. Riverside defeated Cal Poly, 81-77, earlier this season. Cal Poly lost to Long Beach on Saturday. The Mustangs are led by forward Varnie Dennis, who averages 15 points a game.

*

Compiled by Gary Klein and Lauren Peterson