CSUN’s Boykin Takes Steps to Let Off Steam After Whistle Blows

Cal State Northridge forward Shelton Boykin is a colorful personality who acts out the momentum swings of the game--on and off the court.

A steal by Northridge elicits a smile and a shake of the fist. A mistake by himself or a teammate and Boykin is crushed.

But it is nothing compared to his response when an official’s call goes against CSUN.

Boykin’s temper has boiled over so many times that he has been forced to develop an unusual way of controlling his anger.

Twice in an 88-73 loss to Cal State Long Beach, Boykin took a walk rather than let his temper get the best of him, as was the case in the Montana State game when he was whistled for two technical fouls.

Boykin’s strategy--to get away from the officials--goes back to his days at San Fernando High. Once during his senior year, Boykin was so upset about being assessed a foul that he walked out of the gym and into the foyer just as the player he fouled shot a free throw.

When the opponent finished shooting his second free throw, Boykin came back through the opposite door and joined the game in progress.

In Boykin’s view it is CSUN against the world.

“We have to fight eight people (the opposition and three officials), plus the ninth man, the crowd,” he said after the Long Beach game.

“It is real frustrating when we shoot one free throw and they shoot 16 in the first half. I had to leave the gym twice to calm down. It worked tonight and I’ll stick with it until something drastic happens and I get beat up in the hallway.”

Unless he is outmanned, there is little danger of that happening: Boykin stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds.

Passed over: Rachel Wackerman put up eye-popping numbers for the Cal Lutheran women’s soccer team this season, but when it came time for postseason honors she was virtually shut out.

Wackerman, a freshman forward, led the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics with 30 goals, six more than the next highest total in the NAIA, and she had the second-highest total in the NAIA since 1980. She is tied for 11th on the all-time single-season list for all four-year collegiate-level women.

However, Wackerman was not only omitted from the All-American team, she was left off the All-Area team, which includes Districts 3 and 5, in voting by coaches. “I don’t think it was fair to Rachel,” Cal Lutheran Coach George Kuntz said. “I was shocked.”

Condor cool-down: Assistant John Price picked up a couple victories as the Oxnard men’s basketball coach last weekend while Coach Remy McCarthy served a two-game suspension.

The Western State Conference suspended McCarthy for his abuse of officials in a Moorpark tournament game against Citrus.

McCarthy says he will not change his high-energy coaching style, “but I do plan on trying to channel that emotion toward getting guys to play hard and not disputing officials’ calls.”

Gunner’s intuition: Kyle Kerlegan sensed a win over San Diego five minutes into last Friday’s basketball game at Matador Gymnasium.

Never mind that the Toreros were preseason favorites to win the West Coast Athletic Conference.

“We knew we were at home and even though we weren’t playing well, they weren’t either,” said Kerlegan, who led CSUN with 18 points. “We knew if we could get our act together, they weren’t superhuman.”

The 83-73 win gives the Matadors momentum going into a Dec. 28 game at Idaho State and also helps make up for a winless trip to Montana and Montana State.

Position switch: Chris Peery, who rushed for 3,928 yards and scored 60 touchdowns for Canyon High from 1986-89, will play inside linebacker at Valley College next season, according to Monarch Coach Chuck Ferrero.

A defensive lineman at Canyon as a freshman, Peery switched to running back in 1987 and was named state sophomore player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports. He enrolled at Valley recently after withdrawing from Cal State Fullerton earlier this fall.

“I asked him what side of the ball he wanted to play on and he said defense,” Ferrero said of Peery, who was listed at 6-2, 214 as a Canyon senior. “He’s got the size and speed to excel at (linebacker).”

Youth movement: A precocious group of freshmen on the Valley women’s basketball team have been forced to grow up quickly because of key injuries.

Valley (13-1) went to the Sequoias tournament without starting center Stacie Toon (out until early January because of a knee injury) and starting forward Ericka Miller (out until after Christmas because of an ankle injury).

However, Valley triumphed over a strong tournament field at Visalia and heads into the Christmas break with an eight-game winning streak, in part because of freshmen Falicia Stanley, Katina Mines, Anna Giles and Wendy Bruse.

“The freshmen are really picking up the slack,” Coach Doug Michelson said. “That’s what’s doing it for us; the freshmen are starting to play like sophomores.”

Injury update: With two weeks to rehabilitate his sprained ankle, David Keeter is expected to be able to return to the CSUN basketball lineup in time for the Matadors’ next game at Idaho State, Dec. 28.

Statwatch: Through its first five games, Northridge attempted an average of 29.2 three-point baskets a game. In its past three games, CSUN has attempted an average of only 15.6.

Center Todd Bowser, a senior, is 85 points short of 10th place on CSUN’s all-time scoring list. Lorren Bracci (1967-69) is currently 10th with 979. Bowser’s 508 career rebounds put him seventh on CSUN’s all-time list. He needs three to surpass No. 6 Jack Dyck, who had 510 rebounds from 1972-75. . . .

Cal Lutheran’s Jeff deLaveaga is ranked seventh nationally among NAIA scoring leaders with a 29.0 average. . . .

The 139 points Antelope Valley scored against Rio Hondo was the school’s highest total under second-year coach Newton Chelette and the second-highest in school history. Antelope Valley tied a school record for points in a half with 78 in the first half. . . .

After six games, Antelope Valley’s J.R. Rider has scored 30 or more points four times, leaving him two short of the school season record and three short of the career record for 30-or-more-point games. . . .

Staff writers Theresa Munoz, Brendan Healey and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.

SPOTLIGHT

After missing a slew of shots in an early-season loss to Orange Coast College, Little turned to Coach Rob DiMuro and said, “That will never happen again. I will never miss easy shots like that again.”

When it comes to predictions, she is no Chicken Little. Since then, her shots have been falling--as have Pierce’s opponents.

“I’ve never had a player who can do that,” DiMuro said.

Pierce has won 10 of 11 games since the loss to Orange Coast and wrapped up the Canyons tournament championship last weekend. Little, who is averaging 21.4 points and 8.1 rebounds a game, scored 77 points, grabbed 23 rebounds and blocked nine shots in three tournament games and was named most valuable player.

The Agoura High product already has signed a letter of intent to play for San Jose State. She did not play last season for Pierce because she transferred at the semester break from Valley.

Lisa Little: Pierce College

Basketball: Forward

Sophomore: 6-foot-1