Northridge Is Throttled by Montana

For the fourth time in as many road games, Cal State Northridge gave up more than 100 points.

The Matadors fell, 108-73, Thursday night at Dahlberg Arena to a Montana team that didn’t overwhelm them with size or talent as much as shooting touch.

The Grizzlies (4-2) of the Big Sky Conference hit a season-high 61.7% from the field, including seven of 16 three-point attempts. Seven Montana players scored in double figures, led by reserve Gary Kane with a career-high 21 points.

Northridge, which fell to 1-4 in its first Division I season, shot 34%. From three-point range, Northridge hit only nine of 24 attempts. Six of those were made by senior guard Kyle Kerlegan, who led the Matadors with 20 points.

With 12:33 left in the game, Northridge cut the deficit from 27 points to 14 behind the efforts of Kerlegan, Keith Gibbs and Sean Davis.

Sandwiched between two Montana baskets, Kerlegan hit three consecutive three-point shots in 90 seconds and Northridge ran off 10 points in a row.

Gibbs connected on a 15-footer, scored on a lob pass from Davis and made two steals. Davis hit a follow shot, picked up two steals and made another assist.

But that was the Matadors’ last gasp. They missed five of their next six shots and turned it over twice as Montana pulled away.

“That was very pleasing to come back like that,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “It was a shame, you work so hard to close the thing and then you let it slide away.”