Playoff Hunt Continues Into Final Week for 4 CCAA Teams

The myriad combinations possible for securing a berth in postseason play seem lost on Pete Cassidy.

“Win two and sort it out later, that’s what I figure,” the Cal State Northridge men’s basketball coach said.

Cassidy’s outlook, though dour, is most appropriate. Entering the final two games of the regular season, it is virtually impossible to determine the field for the postseason tournament in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., where four teams are vying for two remaining berths.

UC Riverside and Cal State Dominguez Hills, both 10-2 in conference play, already have qualified for the four-team conference tournament. Cal State Bakersfield is 8-4, followed by Chapman (7-5), Northridge (6-6) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (6-6).

The range of possible finishes is considerable. For instance, Bakersfield could wind up as conference co-champion and serve as host for the CCAA tournament or fail to qualify altogether.

Northridge, which plays at Cal Poly Pomona (0-10) on Thursday and at Riverside on Saturday, could win both games and fail to qualify for postseason play if it finishes in a tie with Chapman, a two-time winner over the Matadors this season.

Or, CSUN could split its remaining games and qualify for the tournament if San Luis Obispo defeats Chapman on Thursday and the three teams finish in a tie for fourth place with 7-7 conference records. The first tiebreaker--records against each other--would also then end in a deadlock. Northridge lost twice to Chapman, but is 2-0 against San Luis Obispo. Chapman and San Luis Obispo split their two meetings.

The second criterion in the tiebreaker system is records against teams that have qualified for the tournament. There could be a three-way tie by that process as well, leaving the decision to . . .

A coin flip or a drawing of lots.

The situation is more concrete for CCAA women’s teams.

Cal Poly Pomona (10-0) has clinched its eighth consecutive regular-season championship and will play host to the first round of the CCAA tournament March 2. The women’s championship game will be played at the same site as the men’s final, which has yet to be determined.

Chapman (7-4) and Northridge (6-4) also are playoff-bound. Either Cal State Los Angeles (6-4) or San Luis Obispo (4-6) will complete the field.

In Division III, Occidental harbors hopes of earning an at-large berth. Pomona-Pitzer (15-9, 8-1) has clinched the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and an automatic invitation to the national playoffs.

Third-place Occidental also could qualify for the 40-team national field if it defeats Pomona-Pitzer on Thursday and second-place Claremont (13-11, 6-3) loses to Redlands. Occidental (15-9, 5-4) would then have the best overall record in the SCIAC. Division III invitations will be announced Sunday.

The Master’s College also will learn its fate Sunday. Playoff bids for the seven-team NAIA District 3 tournament will be decided by a three-pronged process that considers a team’s record against opponents with winning records; the Dunkel system, which takes into account the strength of a team’s schedule and its margin of victory; and a vote of coaches.

Master’s (15-12, 5-9) has been ranked seventh or eighth by the Dunkel system most of the season.

The playoff fields are set for junior colleges.

Women’s basketball teams from Valley and Moorpark and men’s teams from Glendale and Moorpark will participate this week in the Southern California regional playoffs.

Valley (27-3), champion of the Western State Conference and seeded third in the 16-team women’s field, will play host to 14th-seeded Grossmont (17-10). Moorpark (22-7), seeded 11th, will travel to sixth-seeded Mira Costa (20-4). Both games are at 7 tonight.

In the 26-team men’s tournament, 19th-seeded Glendale (20-11) will travel to 14th-seeded Golden West (20-11). Moorpark (16-14), seeded 22nd, will travel to 11th-seeded Compton (20-10). Both games are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Staff writer Gary Klein contributed to this story.