CSUN Streak at 3 After Win Over Montana St.

For the first time since moving to the Division I level, Cal State Northridge has won three consecutive games.

And unlike the Matadors’ most recent two victims--both Division II foes--Montana State is a Division I team that came in with a 10-4 record.

The Bobcats rallied late in the game, but Northridge pulled together for a 81-77 nonconference victory before 1,025 at Matador Gymnasium.

Northridge (4-12) has won four of its past six games and four consecutive games at home.

Last season, its first in Division I, the Matadors were 8-20 and never won more than two consecutive games.

“This is really big,” Northridge forward Keith Gibbs said. “The biggest one of the year.”

Gibbs, a 43% shooter, hit nine of 13 shots for a team-high 21 points. Reserve guard James Morris scored a season-high 16 points in 14 minutes and point guard Andre Chevalier scored 15 points and had seven assists and three steals.

Center Brian Kilian also was a force on defense with three steals to go with six rebounds. Percy Fisher led CSUN in rebounding with seven and scored 10 points.

Guard Brooklyn McLinn scored nine points and drew the toughest assignment, guarding Montana State’s Willard Dean.

Northridge led, 70-57, with 5 minutes 22 seconds left, but a combination of turnovers and missed free throws allowed the Bobcats to pull within 77-74 with 38 seconds left.

With 36 seconds remaining, Morris sank the first of two free throws. Morris missed on his second shot, but Northridge’s 6-foot-5 forward, Shelton Boykin, tipped the ball into the baseline corner where the 5-8 Morris chased it down, fell to the floor and tied up Montana State’s Johnny Perkins for a jump ball.

“I guess being short does have some advantages,” Morris said.

The possession arrow pointed to Northridge and with 31 seconds to play Chevalier was sent to the free-throw line. He made one of the two shots for a 79-74 lead.

With 20 seconds left, Perkins missed from three-point range and the diminutive Morris whisked away the long rebound and was fouled at the Northridge end with 16 seconds remaining.

Morris sank both foul shots for an 81-74 lead.

“About three people before me went to the line and missed, so I told myself I wouldn’t miss,” Morris said. “I just took my time and knocked them down.”

Dean canned a three-point basket with eight seconds left to make the score, 81-77, and the Matadors ran out the clock.

Dean, who connected on his first seven shots and finished with a game-high 23 points, scored twice in the opening minutes of the second half to erase Northridge’s six-point halftime lead.

But Northridge responded with two foul shots by Gibbs, a steal by Kilian and a three-point basket by McLinn to maintain the upper hand.

With the score tied, 53-53, and 12 minutes remaining, Morris swished a pair of rainbow three-point baskets from NBA range and reserve James Moses made a three-point play for a 62-53 advantage.

Said Morris: “They just happened to go in. (Montana State) was starting to drain some three’s so we had to stop their momentum.”

Over the next three minutes, Northridge outscored Montana State, 8-4, to take its largest lead, 70-57. At that point, Johnny Mack scored six consecutive baskets to rally the Bobcats, but in the end it wasn’t enough against a newly confident Northridge team.

The Matadors took command from the outset with a tenacious defense that forced turnovers and threw the Bobcats out of sync.

A 10-0 run gave Northridge a 20-8 lead eight minutes into the game. Montana State responded with a 15-2 run punctuated by three consecutive three-point baskets.

CSUN ended its five-minute scoring drought with a reverse layup by Chevalier and played the Bobcats even until the last 2:21 of the half when the Matadors outscored Montana State, 12-4, to take a 40-34 halftime lead.