College Basketball WOMEN : CSUN’s Women Fade in Second Half, Lose to CS Riverside, 81-67

The Cal State University Northridge women’s basketball team couldn’t stand prosperity Thursday night.

Leading, 38-33, at halftime and coming off one of its best 20 minutes of the season, the Lady Matadors characterisically self-destructed in the second half and dropped a 81-67 decision to visiting Cal State Riverside in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game.

In the first half, the teams started to pour it on. “We felt good going into the second half,” head coach Leslie Milke said after her team dropped to 0-4 in the conference and 6-10 overall.

“But they (the Matadors) panicked in the second half. We weren’t playing smart at times,” Milke added, her team now losers in 5 of its last 6 games.

A tough Cal State Riverside press, employed by Highlander Coach Nancy Paris with 10 minutes left in the game, helped the Lady Matadors make the costly mistakes. Cal State Northridge led, 57-55, when the press went into effect but was outscored 26-10 down the stretch.

“I think the press took Northridge out of its game plan,” Paris said after her team evened its CCAA record at 2-2. It climbed to 10-5 overall. “Plus we have older team members and they play well in the clutch. They know what it takes to pull it out.”

Also helping to destroy the Lady Matadors’ continuity were Cal State Riverside forwards Becky Swift and Liz Lattimer, who combined for 52 points. Lattimer, held to just four first-half points, exploded for 21 in the second half. Swift led all scorers with 27.

Still, it was the Lady Matadors inability to handle the pressure that led to the defeat. Cal State Northridge, which travels to Cal State Los Angeles Saturday for a 5:45 p.m. game, scored just 4 baskets and 2 foul shots in the final 10:18.

“When we do come down to clutch situations, we’re afraid to shoot,” Lady Matador guard Renee Loch said. “In the first half everyone was looking for the shot. We had confidence in it.”

The Lady Matadors were led, once again, by freshman Regan O’Hara, who scored 20 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds despite being plagued most of the game by foul trouble. Guards Lori Costello and Dianna Ayala added 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Tracy Blum and Loch chipped in eight points each.

Milke is beginning to wonder what it will take for her team to break into the CCAA win column.

“Now, (losing) may be in the back of their minds,” Milke said. “They may be wondering whether they can win a ballgame. They know they have the talent, they just have to prove it to themselves.

“There’s going to be a game when it’s all going to click,” Milke said.