Cal vs. New Mexico

TIPOFF: 8 p.m. at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley. TV: ESPN2. Radio: 1550 AM.

GOLDEN BEARS FACTS: Cal (16-15) is playing in the NIT for the sixth time, having posted a combined record of 10-4, including a 5- 0 run to the tournament crown in 1999. ... Tonight's winner will play a second-round game Monday in Columbus, Ohio, as Ohio State opened with an 84-66 win over UNC-Asheville on Tuesday. ... The Bears get another chance to close out their home schedule with a victory after an 87-84 loss to Washington left them 2-7 at Haas in Pac-10 play. ... Sophomore Ryan Anderson (21.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg) is bidding to become the seventh Cal player since 1994 to lead the Pac- 10 in scoring.

LOBOS FACTS: New Mexico (24-8) enters its 17th NIT, having gone 16-17 with a runner-up finish in 1964. ... Third-place finishers in the Mountain West Conference, the Lobos have won eight of their past 10 games. ... They feature four players who convert at least 40 percent from 3-point range, including sixth man Chad Toppert, who has made 84 shots from beyond the arc. ... Coach Steve Alford said his biggest concern is stopping Cal's big men. "That's something we've had trouble with," he said, "because we're not big."

--Jeff Faraudo

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