FACTS & STATS: Site: US Airways Center (18,422) -- Phoenix, Arizona. Television: CBS. NCAA Tournament Record: Xavier 15-18, UCLA 97-34. Series Record: UCLA leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: A trip to the Final Four is on the line tonight, as the top-seeded UCLA Bruins collide with the third-seeded Xavier Musketeers at the US Airways Center in the West Regional Final. The Musketeers continued their magical run through the tournament with a thrilling 79-75 overtime victory over West Virginia in the Sweet 16. Xavier opened the event with 73-61 victory over Georgia and followed that win with an 85-78 decision over Purdue. This is the first Elite Eight appearance for the Musketeers since the 2004 season. The Musketeers continue to raise the bar for wins in a season, as the team is now at 30, eclipsing the previous single-season mark of 28, with their win over Purdue. As for the Bruins, they had some trouble with Western Kentucky, but UCLA was able to grab an 88-78 victory over the Hilltoppers. It was the 13th consecutive win for the Bruins, who defeated Mississippi Valley State (70-29) in the first round and Texas A&M (51-49) in second round play. This is the third straight Elite Eight appearance for UCLA, which now has 97 wins in this event, second best to only Kentucky (100). With respect to the all-time series between the two schools on the hardwood, the Bruins own a slim 1-0 edge over Xavier. Tonight's winner will advance to the Final Four and will take on the winner of the South Region.

B.J. Raymond only finished with eight points against West Virginia, but the guard's two three-point baskets in overtime were the key factor in the Musketeers' win over the Mountaineers. Leading the way for Xavier in the victory was Josh Duncan, who poured in an impressive 26 points. C.J. Anderson added 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Drew Lavender tallied nine points to go along with seven assists. It was a typical win for Xavier, which possesses many different scoring weapons. Duncan has been the main threat all year averaging 12.4 ppg, while Lavender is contributing 10.9 ppg and has a team best 156 assists. Anderson and Derrick Brown have been a tough tandem in the paint, as Anderson is posting 10.8 ppg to go along with 6.0 rpg, while Brown is also netting 10.8 ppg and is collecting a team-high 6.6 rpg. Raymond, who is shooting 41.3 percent from long range, rounds out the double-figure scorers with 10.1 ppg. As a whole, the Musketeers have dominated the opposition offensively, producing 75.6 ppg.

The Bruins flexed their defensive muscle throughout the first two games of the tournament, but it was the play at the offensive end of the floor that gave UCLA an 88-78 win over Western Kentucky. The Bruins shot 50.0 percent from the field in the win, and also made 26-of-35 foul shots. Kevin Love was sensational, posting a double-double of 29 points and 14 rebounds. James Keefe also tallied a double-double, netting 18 points to go along with 12 boards off the bench. Not to be outdone was Russell Westbrook, who's double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds went along with a team-best five assists. Westbrook is currently averaging 12.4 ppg on the year, but the main option for the Bruins since day one has been Love. The freshman phenom is currently pacing the Bruins with 17.6 ppg and is also collecting 10.7 rpg. The biggest threat in the backcourt has been Darren Collison, and although the guard tallied just four points against WKU, the senior is still second on the team with 14.7 ppg. While the offensive performance was impressive, the Bruins still rely of their defensive play, and come into this matchup, holding the opposition to just 58.5 ppg.

The Bruins struggled offensively against Texas A&M, and had problems defensively against Western Kentucky, so they will need to shore things up against Xavier. If the Musketeers jump on the Bruins quick, they could have a shot at the upset. However, expect UCLA to get to the Final Four yet again.

Predicted Outcome

UCLA 75, Xavier 63