Anteaters play host to UC Santa Barbara tonight

When: Tonight, 7

Where: Bren Events Center

Breakdown: The Anteaters (8-14, 5-4 in the Big West Conference) enter the conference clash against UC Santa Barbara (8-13, 2-7) in a three-way tie for fourth place with seven conference games left ... UCI, winners of five of its last eight games, topped Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 64-57, at home Thursday to snap a two-game conference home losing skid ... After tonight, the ’Eaters will play five of their last seven regular-season games on the road, including four of six conference games ... UCSB, which defeated UCI, 68-61, at home Jan. 8, has lost four straight and is tied with Cal Poly for last place ... Coach Bob Williams’ Gauchos blew a 19-point halftime lead Thursday at Cal State Fullerton in a 72-65 loss ... UCI junior point guard Michael Hunter missed Thursday’s game with a sprained left ankle and his availability tonight is unknown. Hunter is averaging 11.3 points per game, second best on the team and he led the Anteaters with 17 points in the UCSB game. He has averaged 15.1 points his last eight games ... UCI freshman Eric Wise, who leads all Big West freshmen in scoring (12.9 per game) and rebounding (5.8), was held to a season-low two points Thursday, as he was consistently double-teamed ... Wise, averaging 13.7 points in conference, can expect more of the same as the second round of league play continues ... Senior Chris Devine leads UCSB at 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

— Barry Faulkner