Northridge Bid for Postseason Play Dashed Despite Victory

The elation of a second consecutive impressive outing wore off quickly for the Cal State Northridge men’s basketball team Thursday night.

After taking care of business by defeating Cal Poly Pomona, 96-78, at Kellogg Gym, the Matadors learned that their postseason hopes had been extinguished.

Chapman defeated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 71-64, at the Hutton Sports Center in Orange, clinching the fourth and final berth in next week’s California Collegiate Athletic Assn. postseason tournament.

The field: UC Riverside, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Bakersfield and Chapman.

“It’s a shame,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said, “because I think we’re one of the best teams in the conference.”

Perhaps so. But the Matadors, after a promising start, took too long to hit stride during the conference season.

The reasons: Injuries didn’t help matters, Cassidy said. At one time or another, all but one of CSUN’s front-line players sustained injuries.

Lack of continuity also played a role, Cassidy said. To that end, only three of the 11 players the Matadors suited Thursday played together on last year’s team.

Northridge is 16-10 overall, 7-6 in the CCAA. If the Matadors defeat Riverside on Saturday and Chapman loses to Bakersfield, both teams would finish 8-6 in conference play. But the Panthers would advance by virtue of their two wins over Northridge this season.

Pomona, 6-19 overall, is one loss away from finishing 0-for-the-CCAA season.

It was Derrick Gathers who rode roughshod over the Broncos on Thursday.

Gathers scored 24 points, made eight of 13 from the field--including four of six three-point attempts--and added 11 rebounds.

So what did Cassidy want to talk about afterward? Gathers’ passing.

“I thought he played very much under control,” Cassidy said. “Several times he made nice, easy passes for easy baskets.

Gathers finished with five assists.

Four other Matadors reached double figures in scoring. Alan Fraser had 15 points, Kendell McDaniels 14, Jemarl Baker 13 and Kris Brodowski 10.

Nate Macon led Pomona with 24 points and Forrest Barnes added 17.

Northridge led, 45-37, at the half, largely because of reserve forward McDaniels, who scored 10 points and had seven rebounds in eight minutes.

Gathers had 13 points as the Matadors broke open a close game with a string of four three-point shots--two by Gathers--in the closing minutes of the half.