Final Countdown
CSUN hosts UC Irvine in late season thriller. Hawai'i begins final BW road trip at UC Davis, which is playing its last BW home game. Cal Poly on brink of qualifying. UCSB and UCSD look for home wins.
6:00 PM: Hawai’i at UC Davis — The Rainbow Warriors (19-7, 11-5) begin their final Big West road trip, and it may be their toughest yet. Hawai’i, which has split each of its previous 4 forays to California in conference play, may need to sweep UC Davis and Cal State Fullerton to remain at least tied for the Big West lead heading into the final week. Dre Bullock has averaged 21.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals over the last 2 games. The Aggies (17-11, 10-7), also leaving for the Mountain West Conference at the end of the season, are playing their final home game of the 2025-26 season. UC Davis finds itself in a 3-way tie for 4th place and would win the tiebreaker for a 1st-round bye if the season ended this morning. Connor Sevilla is averaging 15.0 points over the last 3 games and has made 35 of his last 37 free throw attempts (.946).
6:00 PM: UC Riverside at UC Santa Barbara — The Highlanders (9-20, 4-13) are playing out the string after getting mathematically eliminated last week. UCR is 3-14 since mid-December, but 6 of its last 7 losses have been by 8 points or less. Guards Marqui Worthy Jr. (34.5 minutes per game) and Andrew Henderson (33.4 MPG) are first and second in minutes played in the Big West. The short-handed Gauchos (17-11, 10-7) were 0-2 in overtime games last week, failing to take advantage of losses elsewhere and falling into a 4th-place tie. UCSB is on its second 3-game losing streak of the season, each of which came during the absence of point guard Miro Little. Colin Smith has scored 16 points in 3 straight games and 5 of his last 6, averaging 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds over that span.
7:00 PM: Long Beach State at Cal Poly — The microscopic hopes of the Beach (8-20, 4-12) hinge on pulling off an upset tonight. Long Beach State, losers of 9 straight games, is 4 games behind Cal Poly for the last available Big West Tournament berth with 4 games to play, and a win tonight would give LBSU the tiebreaker. Long Beach is 1-12 on the road this season and 0-12 in February over the last 2 seasons. The Mustangs (12-16, 8-8) have won 3 straight, all vs. teams that were in the top 3 at the time the games were played. Cal Poly has a tough road trip upcoming at UC San Diego and UC Irvine before finishing at home vs. CSU Bakersfield. Sophomore Cayden Ward averaged 16.0 points in the 3 wins, making 13 of 16 two-point field goal attempts (.813).
7:00 PM: UC Irvine at CSUN — GAME OF THE NIGHT. The Anteaters (18-10, 11-5) have lost 3 of their last 5 games to allow the tightening of the Big West race. UC Irvine is playing its final road game of the season, with home games remaining vs. UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and UC Davis. Kyle Evans has recorded 4 straight doubles doubles and continues to lead the nation in blocks with 96 (3.43 per game). Evans is just 10 blocks behind the UCI/Big West single-season record of 106 set by Mamadou Ndiaye in 2013-14. The Matadors (18-10, 11-5) are the hottest team in the conference, having won 7 straight games to pull into a 1st-place tie with UCI and Hawai’i. CSUN has the most favorable schedule remaining, with games vs. the bottom 3 teams in the Big West. Guard Josiah Davis was unstoppable last week, averaging 26.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists in road wins at UCSB and LBSU. Davis is averaging 7.2 assists on the season, the 4th best figure in the nation.
7:00 PM: CSU Bakersfield at UC San Diego — The Roadrunners (8-20, 2-14) have lost 11 straight games and seem destined to finish in the Big West basement. CJ Hardy returned from injury last week, playing 19 minutes at UC Riverside before starting on Saturday at home vs. Cal State Fullerton and scoring 16 points. The Tritons (19-9, 9-7) sit in 7th place but are just 1/2 game out of 4th with an intriguing closing schedule. UCSD host Cal Poly on Saturday before finishing at Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara. Freshman Hudson Mayes is averaging 19. 7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in UCSD’s 3-game winning streak.