With the ampm Big West Tournament just over one month away from debuting at Honda Center, conference television partners ESPN and Fox Sports Net selected three “Wild Card” men's basketball games for airing on Saturday, February 26.
UC Santa Barbara at Long Beach State will be televised on ESPN2 at 5:00 p.m. (PST). LBSU occupies first place in the Big West with an 8-2 record. This season the 49ers have drawn three crowds of at least 4,700 and two over 5,000, including a Walter Pyramid record 5,143 for the season opener against San Diego State on Nov. 13, 2010. UCSB, the preseason favorite to win the league, currently sits in sixth place at 4-5.
Fox Sports West will carry the Pacific at UC Irvine matchup at 5:30 p.m. (PST). The Tigers are in a three-way tie for second place in the Big West race. Bob Thomason won his 400th career game at Pacific with Thursday’s triumph at UC Santa Barbara and is now six victories away from becoming the winningest head coach in Big West history. UCI, under first year head coach Russell Turner, is 3-6 in conference play.
The television tripleheader culminates with an 8:00 p.m. (PST) Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton tilt on ESPNU. The 5-4 Mustangs are included in the three-way logjam for second place. They take their league-best six overall road victories to Titan Gym, where CSF is 7-2 this season.
All-session tickets for the 2011 ampm Big West Basketball Tournament for March 8 women’s quarterfinal games on campus sites and March 10-12 at Honda Center are on sale via Ticketmaster and each institution’s ticket office. All-Session passes, good for all games, are $64.
BIG WEST BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TICKETS AT TICKETMASTER
HONDA CENTER SEATING CHART
MEN’S BASKETBALL TELEVISED GAMES ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Game Network Time
UC Santa Barbara at Long Beach State ESPN2 5:00 p.m. (PST)
Pacific at UC Irvine Fox Sports West 5:30 p.m. (PST)
Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton ESPNU 8:00 p.m. (PST)