CSUN Women Show No Mercy in 74-37 Rout of Dominguez

If Pee Wee Herman were asked to orchestrate a basketball game, he would be hard-pressed to top the comedy of errors that was slapped together Thursday night at Cal State Northridge.

Cal State Northridge and Cal State Dominguez Hills combined for 51 fouls and 41 turnovers, but Northridge prevailed, 74-37. The win improves CSUN’s California Collegiate Athletic Assn. record to 5-2 and overall mark to 15-4. The Lady Matadors are tied with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for second place. Defending national champion Cal Poly Pomona is in first with a 7-0 record.

The Lady Matadors, ranked 13th in the nation this week in the Division II poll, have won four straight and are off to their best start in nine years.

Northridge has relied all season on the play of its front line of forwards Regan O’Hara and Denise Sitton and center Tara Flanagan. All three scored in double figures Thursday night, but they had to share the stage with reserves Lori Costello, Julie Middleton and Liz Enright.

The Lady Matadors enjoyed a 31-21 lead at halftime, but increased the margin to 47-32 with 11 minutes left in the game.

Northridge Coach Leslie Milke then cleared her bench, an act that usually indicates that a coach is satisfied with the lead and is trying to keep the score down and the reserves’ playing time up.

Costello, Middleton and Enright, however, had other ideas. The three combined for 20 points in the last 11 minutes, a span in which the Lady Matadors outscored Dominguez Hills, 27-3.

More than anything, Milke was impressed with her team’s ability to put the game away, something Northridge was unable to do in a 63-59 win over the Lady Toros last week.

“It was really important for us to put together two good halves,” she said. “I’m very happy about it. We blew a 20-point lead against them at their place.”

Costello, a senior guard, led all scorers with 14 points. Middleton added nine points and 10 rebounds, while Enright scored eight points in only 16 minutes.

The Lady Toros, who committed 32 fouls, shot only 24% from the field (15 for 63) compared to Northridge’s 42% (23 for 54).

Flanagan scored 12 points, Sitton added 11 and O’Hara had 10 and 13 rebounds.

Three Dominguez Hills players--Sherrian Ellison, Kathy Goggin and Adrienne Haynes--fouled out of the game. Guard Deborah Shepherd, who scored 12 points, was the only player to reach double figues for the Lady Toros (0-7 in conference, 5-16 overall).

CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS--Ellison 6; Williamson 6; Newman 2; Shepherd 12; McGee 1; Alford 1; Haynes 5; Goggin 2; Abson 2.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE--Sitton 11; O’Hara 10 and 13 rebounds; Flanagan 12; Nino 4; Loch 6; Costello 14; Middleton 9 and 10 rebounds; Enright 8.