CS Northridge Slips at Finish and Falls, 74-72

After ending a streak of 10 losses last weekend, a newly confident Cal State Northridge team took St. Mary’s to the wire, then fell, 74-72, Friday night at McKeon Pavilion.

Northridge (1-11) didn’t execute at the finish on two chances to win the game.

Trailing 73-72 with 26 seconds left and a timeout to prepare for their last shot, the Matadors worked the clock to 12 seconds when point guard Andre Chevalier, under slight pressure from Kevin Weatherby, slipped and was whistled for traveling.

“We never got a chance because of me,” Chevalier said.

Northridge still had a chance, however, when the Gaels’ Thurman Watson missed his second of two free throws with seven seconds left. Northridge’s Percy Fisher grabbed the rebound and called time out.

With five seconds left, St. Mary’s (7-6) prevented Northridge’s Shelton Boykin from making a length-of-the-court inbounds pass and Boykin was forced to throw it to Chevalier in the back court.

Chevalier was cornered by Watson and Julius Ward. In desperation he passed back to Boykin, who took a few dribbles and launched a shot at the buzzer from beyond the mid-court line.

The ball hit the rim and the backboard before bouncing to the floor, ending the Matadors’ chances of ending their 16-game road losing streak.

“I’m kind of numb,” said Northridge swingman Keith Gibbs, who scored 23 points. “I thought Shelton’s shot was going in. But we didn’t lose it on that final play.

“I don’t think we’re snakebit. I just think we haven’t done it at the end yet. We had a five-point lead at halftime, but we had breakdowns. They are smaller breakdowns, but they are still breakdowns.”

The Matadors’ season-high point total for a first half gave them their first halftime lead, 41-36.

Gibbs did not miss a shot in his first six attempts, including three three-pointers, and made seven of eight shots for 17 points in the first 20 minutes.

Booker Newberry scored 14 points for St. Mary’s.