CSUN Plays Weber State Tough in Loss

It will go down in the record books as Cal State Northridge’s second-biggest loss in the series, but Weber State’s 67-51 victory over the Matadors at the Dee Events Center on Saturday night was anything but easy.

For 34 minutes, Northridge scratched and clawed with the Wildcats, but when the Matadors’ shooting went cold, Weber State pulled away to win the nonconference game.

Northridge trailed, 45-41, with 6:15 left in the second half after a Kendell McDaniels’ basket, but the Matadors made only one of their next 11 attempts as Weber State went on a 20-5 run.

“We had some good open shots, but we just missed them,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “That hurt us and we got too close for some people’s comfort.”

Cassidy also suggested there may have been some bias in the officiating.

True, there were a couple of questionable calls against Northridge--which trails in the series, 7-0--but Weber State’s victory was more the result of superior strength inside.

Guard Tony Nicholas led the Wildcats with a game-high 19 points, but 6-foot-6 Jerry McIntosh, 6-8 Chris Metke and 6-8 Anthony McGowan turned the game around for Weber State (2-1) in the last five minutes.

McIntosh and Metke had 12 points each, and McGowan had 11 points and six rebounds.

“Defensively, I think we played pretty respectable,” Cassidy said, “but they did start to muscle us inside in the second half.

Derrick Gathers led Northridge (1-2) with 14 points and McDaniels added eight points and seven rebounds.

Leading, 48-43, with five minutes left in the game, Weber State went on a 9-0 run that left the Matadors reeling.

Nicholas started the surge with a jumper, which was followed by three Metke free throws, a McGowan dunk and a Metke jump hook.

“It was a real tight game,” Cassidy said. “and suddenly, three minutes later, we were down by 14.”

Trailing, 57-43, with 1:36 left, the Matadors were forced to hurry their shots and foul Weber State when they missed.

Northridge trailed by eight points at halftime, but hit seven of its first nine shots in the second half to trim Weber State’s lead to 35-34 with 15:06 left in the game.