Daniels Takes Fight Out of Pomona, 74-69

Basketball became a contact sport when Cal State Northridge played host to Cal Poly Pomona Saturday night in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game.

There was contact between players’ elbows and opponents’ chests, as well as their fists and faces. But most of all, there was contact between Jimmy Daniels’ shots and the bottom of the net.

Daniels scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, as Northridge defeated Pomona, 74-69, in a game that was delayed by more than 10 minutes by a bench-clearing brawl.

The fight, which involved both players and coaches, erupted between Paul Hobus of Northridge and Tony Theisen of Pomona with 12:41 left and the Matadors leading, 47-41.

As Hobus turned to run back down court after a Northridge basket, he and Theisen got tangled and punches began to fly. When it was over, Theisen was ejected, as were CSUN assistant Rusty Smith and Pomona assistant Tony Puntar.

The delay seemed to cool off Daniels--at least a little. He scored only six points the rest of the game, but his shooting had already taken its toll.

George Fisher, Pomona’s coach, tried to help his defense cope with Daniels by screaming “shooter” every time the 6-3 senior touched the ball.

It should have been pretty obvious just who had the hot hand after Daniels opened the second half by hitting seven of his first nine shots.

His total: 8 of 13, including 4 of 7 from three-point range.

He also made two free throws with 11 seconds left to ice the game.

The Matadors’ ineptitude at the line caused the game to be close at the end. Northridge, which had missed 4 of its first 13 free throws, missed 6 of 11 in the last 3:09, including the front ends of three one-and-ones.

Northridge held a 29-25 lead at the half, despite shooting only 40.7% to Pomona’s 52.6%.

The Matadors came out fast in the second half, however, as Daniels hit four three-pointers in the first seven minutes. Northridge shot 60.7% in the second half, playing mostly without center Todd Bowser and guard Paul Drecksel.

Bowser, who scored a season-high 25 points in CSUN’s upset of Riverside on Friday, scored only eight points before fouling out with 5:49 remaining.

Drecksel, the Matadors’ leading scorer with an average of 14 points a game, did not score. He picked up his fourth foul with 7:05 left.

The victory improved the Matadors’ conference record to 6-4, 10-13 overall. Northridge is in a third-place tie with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, two games behind front-running Riverside and one game back of Dominguez Hills.

Pomona, which was led by Zenon M’s 20 points, fell to 10-13, 3-7.

POMONA--M 20, Stevens 11, Brofer 7, Suttle 9, Dobbs 16, Sacks 4, Theisen 2.

NORTHRIDGE--Daniels 22, Horwath 14, Bowser 8, Drecksel 0, Dueker 4, Bolden 14, Carr 8, Cooper 4.