CSUN Win Streak Ends as Outside Shooting Fails

Cal State Northridge learned how to win on the road earlier this week, but the Matadors showed Thursday night that they are only as good as their perimeter shooting.

This time, the shots did not fall, so Northridge did, 78-63, to a Wisconsin-Milwaukee team that also is playing Division I basketball for the first time.

The Matadors, who connected on 58.4% of their shots to put together a two-game win streak Monday and Tuesday, shot just 41% from the field Thursday. Moreover, starters Kyle Kerlegan, Andre Chevalier and Keith Gibbs were a combined six of 27 (22%) and Northridge’s second shots were few and far between.

Milwaukee (7-7) outrebounded CSUN, 26-15, on the offensive boards and 53-40 overall.

Randy Doss, a 6-foot-7 forward, had 12 rebounds to go with 14 points inside and Milwaukee teammate Von McDade grabbed 10 rebounds and scored a game-high 30 points--20 in the first half.

“We saw the tape of the Loyola game and thought if they drilled Loyola, 90-76, they gotta be pretty good,” Milwaukee Coach Steve Antrim said.

“They play a lot like we do, moving around and shooting it--they just didn’t have a good night shooting.”

Kerlegan and Gibbs, who combined for 42 points in Monday’s win over Northeastern Illinois, were limited to three and seven points, respectively.

Chevalier, who scored a career-high 20 points against Loyola, was held to six points and Percy Fisher, who scored a career-high 17 points in the Loyola triumph, got off only two field-goal attempts and missed seven of eight foul shots.

CSUN shot just 31.3% from the free-throw line.

“A lot of things weren’t there tonight,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “Three games in four nights on the road is tough. We did not have enough left in the gas tank to keep going, not to take anything away from Milwaukee. They are all excellent athletes.”

Cassidy allowed that his team, which missed six of its first seven shots, never got untracked.

“It was mental fatigue,” he said. “No one was making cuts. It just didn’t go. It could well be they took us out of everything.”

CSUN (5-10) had better luck inside; Shelton Boykin, Sean Davis and Todd Bowser combined to make 12 of 18 shots. But the only outside shooting of consequence were the three three-point baskets of reserve David Swanson.

“It is easy to say we didn’t get it inside enough,” said Bowser, who led Northridge with 11 points. “But you can’t lay blame. I just didn’t get the ball for one reason or another.

“We kept yelling, ‘Go inside, go inside,’ but sometimes it is not there.”

The only run Northridge made came with 9 minutes 3 seconds left, when Swanson connected on consecutive three-point baskets and Fisher made a foul shot to pull Northridge within 12 points.

Milwaukee responded by missing its next three shots but Northridge was unable to take advantage. The Matadors missed on their next two possessions--ill-advised shots by Chevalier and seldom-used freshman Martin Smith.

“We were very impatient then,” Cassidy said. “We didn’t work for the open shot--that is a sign of mental fatigue.”

Still, Cassidy was pleased with the trip, which began with Northridge mired in an 0-8 road losing streak.

“If before we left someone said we’d come back 2-1, I’d be elated,” Cassidy said. “I think it was successful. We learned a lot. We improved a lot and we gained a measure of confidence.”

Notes

Bowser pointed out that the national anthem was a little different than usual because of the war in the Persian Gulf. “With our team there is even more stress because of Coach (Pete) Cassidy’s son and Coach (Tom) McCollum’s relative (brother-in-law) being over there.” Bowser said.

“I can’t imagine what he is going through,” Bowser said of Cassidy. “Especially coaching a game in the Midwest, so far from home. I have nothing but the ultimate respect for what he is doing now. It is tough to take. His thoughts have to be elsewhere sometimes.” . . .

Bowser’s cousin is in basic training and could be sent to the Gulf, and Gibbs has friends stationed there. . . .

Because of developments in the Middle East, Northridge officials and KGIL radio officials agreed to cancel the broadcast of the game. A makeup game to be named later will serve as a replacement broadcast. . . .

Brian Kilian missed his third game in a row because of lower-back pain.