CS Northridge Falls to CSLA Again, 59-54

Well, at least they’re consistent.

The Cal State Northridge Matadors, who won their first four California Collegiate Athletic Assn. basketball games, lost their fourth in a row Saturday night, bowing 59-54 to Cal State Los Angeles at The Eagles’ Nest.

The latest loss was Northridge’s second in two nights to the Golden Eagles, dropping CSUN to 9-12 overall, 4-4 in conference play.

Alone atop the CCAA standings two weeks ago, Northridge now finds itself in a three-way tie for third with Cal State L. A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills in the conference standings, three games behind first-place Cal State Bakersfield and two behind UC Riverside.

“We gave a great effort for 40 minutes,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “But they played their hearts out too. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit.”

After trailing by a point at halftime, Northridge took a 45-37 lead on a Sandy Brown jump shot with 13 minutes 8 seconds left. But the Golden Eagles outscored the Matadors, 15-4, in the next 7:07 and had a 52-49 lead with 6:01 left.

LaVar Ball, who played at Canoga Park High, keyed the run for the Golden Eagles, scoring six points during the stretch.

“We never gave up,” said Ball, who had 15 points and nine rebounds. “This is our house. We practice here and we’re supposed to win here. It’s going to be tough for anyone to come in here and beat us.”

Daniel Jantz also had 15 points for Cal State L.A. (11-10, 4-4).

Kendell McDaniels scored a team-high 13 points for Northridge, and Jemarl Baker had eight.

Derrick Gathers continued to struggle from the field, scoring a season-low three points on one-of-seven shooting. He is eight of 45 in the past three games.

Trailing, 57-54, Northridge had a chance to narrow the deficit to one, but Baker missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity with 1:20 left.

Baker had hit a pair of free throws with 2:31 remaining to pull the Matadors within one, at 55-54, but Andre White retaliated for Cal State L.A. with an 18-foot jump shot.

After shooting just 34% from the field against the Golden Eagles on Friday, Northridge made 10 of its first 19 shots Saturday, but then missed nine of its last 10 to trail, 32-31, at halftime.