Road Remains a Dead End for Northridge

No one said playing Division I basketball on the road would be easy.

Cal State Northridge ended its first such trip at 0-3 Monday night after a 120-62 loss to New Mexico State before 9,198 at the Pan American Center.

“They have outstanding athletes,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “Our kids just aren’t athletes of that quality.”

As it was, Aggie Coach Neil McCarthy took pity on his opponent.

“I took Randy (Brown) out as early as I could because Pete Cassidy is a friend of mine,” McCarthy said of his standout guard, who scored 20 points in 21 minutes. “They are a better team than they played, and we are not as good as we looked.”

The Matadors made only four of 21 shots from three-point range, committed 25 turnovers and sent the Aggies (2-0) to the free-throw line 51 times.

Todd Bowser and David Swanson scored 12 points each to lead Northridge. David Keeter, the team’s second-leading scorer with a 15.5 average, was sidelined because of flu.

Former Santa Monica High guard William Benjamin had a triple double for New Mexico State with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.