TONIGHT’S GAMES

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* Arkansas State (5-2) vs. Pepperdine (7-3) at Golden Bear Classic, 4:30 -- Pepperdine is coming off its worst effort of the season, a 76-58 loss at Bradley in which the Waves trailed from start to finish. The point total matched a season low set in the opener against East Carolina. Point guards Marvin Lea and Kingsley Costain combined for three points and two assists in 25 minutes. Arkansas State is led by guards Dewarick Spencer and J.J. Montgomery, who combine to average 35.3 points. Host California and Hampton play in tonight’s other game, with the winners moving on to the championship game Thursday night.

* Portland (8-3) at UC Riverside (4-3), 7, KPRO (1570) -- Riverside forward Vili Morton feels much better about his troublesome right foot, and it has shown on the court. Morton, who had surgery on the foot after last season, had a career-high 29 points to go with 13 rebounds in Monday’s 82-74 victory over Sacramento State. It was the fourth double-double in seven games for the 6-foot-9 senior. Portland is coming off a 70-64 home victory over Winthrop on Monday night. The Pilots are led by junior guard Pooh Jeter, an All-West Coast Conference player who is averaging 17.3 points and 4.0 assists. Sophomore guard Sean Smith left the team and intends to transfer to another school.

* UC Santa Barbara (2-4) at San Diego (5-5), 7, KTMS (990) -- Santa Barbara ended a four-game losing streak with a home victory over Montana on Saturday, limiting the Grizzlies to 31% shooting and displaying the kind of suffocating defense it showed in its run to the 2002 NCAA tournament. The Gauchos also got some good news this week: Guard Cecil Brown, one of the team’s top offensive threats, is close to returning after sitting out six weeks because of a partially torn ligament in his right knee. Brown may play tonight if he gets clearance from the team’s training staff. Santa Barbara Coach Bob Williams needs two wins to become the fifth coach in school history with at least 100 victories.

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-- Eric Stephens