Matadors Open Conference Play With 90-78 Win

So much for statistics.

Cal State Northridge came into Friday night’s California Collegiate Athletic Assn. opener at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo shooting 42.2% from the field and just 61.4% from the free-throw line.

The Matadors turned those numbers upside down, however, shooting 56.7% (34 of 60) from the field and 73% (19 of 26) from the foul line to defeat the Mustangs, 90-78, and snap Cal Poly SLO’s four-game win streak.

It was only the second loss in the last 11 games for Cal Poly SLO.

“It’s hard to point out any one player for this win,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “Everyone did so many things to help us win.”

Derrick Gathers scored a game-high 24 points for Northridge (6-8), Kris Brodowski added 16--14 in the second half--and freshman Bill Mazurie (17 points) made eight of nine free throws in the last 1:50 to help Northridge to its second victory in a row and third in the last four games.

“We knew we had to forget about the statistics coming into this game,” Mazurie said. “We knew we just had to forget about them and come out and play our game. This and the Fullerton game were our best efforts of the season.”

Leading, 77-70, with 1:27 left, Northridge made 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch.

Northridge took a 66-53 lead on Andre Henry’s jump shot with 9:26 left, but the Mustangs went on an 8-0 run over the next 2:41 to cut the lead to five with 6:45 to play.

Gathers and Kendell McDaniels countered with baskets for the Matadors to give them a 70-61 lead, but Kurt Colvin hit a basket and Shawn Reed followed with a three-point basket for the Mustangs to narrow the deficit to 70-66 with 4:12 remaining.

That was as close as Cal Poly SLO would get. Brodowski hit a jump shot, and after Redd made one of two free throws, Mazurie was fouled by Cobby Naess on a layup and hit the free throw to give Northridge a 75-67 lead with 1:50 remaining.

After that, the Mustangs were forced to foul and Northridge responded with great free-throw shooting down the stretch.

The Matadors led, 42-36, at halftime after perhaps playing their best 20 minutes of the season.

Gathers scored 20 first-half points, making eight of 11 shots from the field and all three of his free throws.

Gathers’ final basket was a 12-foot bank shot with one second left in the half that gave the Matadors their six-point lead at intermission.

With McDaniels and Percy Fisher picking up three fouls in the first half, Cassidy was forced to go to some of the leaner, quicker players on the bench--and they responded with 16 points in the first half.

Kirk Scott, Mazurie and Fisher each scored four points, and Erik Cooper had two.

Cal Poly SLO was led by Stuart Thomas, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound junior center, who scored nine points. Reserve forward Naess added eight.