MENBIG WEST CONFERENCE* Cal State Fullerton (4-3)...

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BIG WEST CONFERENCE

* Cal State Fullerton (4-3) at Cal State Northridge (2-6), 7 -- The Titans were considered a dangerous team among Big West Conference coaches at the start of the season, particularly when forward Jamaal Brown and guard Ralphy Holmes became eligible. There was proof of that last week when Brown and Holmes combined for 54 points in a 102-92 victory over Denver, a team Fullerton had lost to by 22 points on Dec. 4. Holmes, an All-Big West player in 2002-03, is coming off the bench for now as Coach Bob Burton tries to shake Jermaine Harper out of a shooting slump. After a tough road stretch to open the season, Northridge played its first game at home last week and defeated NAIA Cal Baptist. Forward Eto Onyenegecha, who has been battling knee tendinitis, played for the first time in three games and had five points, four rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes.

* UC Irvine (5-2) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2-5), 7, KUCI-FM (88.9), KWRM (1370) -- The Anteaters open Big West action on a four-game winning streak. Irvine, whose only defeats were to USC and UCLA, has held opponents under 70 points in its five victories. Guard Ross Schraeder, averaging a team-leading 16 points, has made 22 of 45 three-point tries. Center Greg Ethington is having his best season, averaging 14.1 points and 6.7 rebounds. In the teams’ last meeting, Cal Poly kept the Anteaters from making the Big West tournament with a 70-62 victory on the final day of the regular season last spring. Freshman guard Dawin Whiten is averaging 13 points.

* Long Beach State (2-7) at UC Santa Barbara (2-5), 7 -- Long Beach’s last-second 38-37 win over Indiana State at the Rainbow Classic was its lowest-scoring victory since 1980 and its point total was the least in 14 years. Newcomer Shawn Hawkins made the winning follow shot with less than a second remaining. Santa Barbara has struggled mightily after opening the season with an overtime win at San Diego State. The Gauchos, who are hoping that guard Cecil Brown can return from injury this week, are averaging only 60.9 points on 41.9% shooting.

* UC Riverside (4-4) at Pacific (5-2), 7, KPRO (1570) -- Riverside Coach John Masi believes his team is taking steps forward but the Highlanders are coming off a 76-70 home loss to Portland. Freshman guard Larry Cunningham was playing his best game, scoring a season-high 19 points, when he was poked in his right eye late in the second half. He is expected to play. Pacific was picked to win the Big West title at the start of the season and the Tigers are playing like a conference favorite.

NONCONFERENCE

* Pepperdine (8-4) vs. Troy State (1-8) at Lobo Invitational, Albuquerque, N.M., 7 -- The Waves are seconds away from a 10-2 record and victories over two Pacific 10 Conference teams, UCLA and California. Forward Glen McGowan was chosen most valuable player of the Golden Bear Classic after his 26-point, 12-rebound performance in a 61-58 loss to Cal in the championship game. Troy State is being outscored by an average of 13.4 points. Host New Mexico and Mississippi Valley State play in the other game.

-- Eric Stephens