UAB Overcomes Northridge : College basketball: Yard scores career-high 19 points but runs into foul trouble as Matadors lose, 75-63.

When Chris Yard went out Monday night, Cal State Northridge went down.

Alabama Birmingham led by one point with 13 minutes 40 seconds remaining when Yard, CSUN’s 6-foot-6 junior forward, went to the bench with four fouls. When Yard returned 6 1/2 minutes later, the Matadors trailed by 15.

UAB rode that 14-point run to a 75-63 victory, the Matadors’ third consecutive loss.

“That was definitely a factor,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “When (Yard) went out (Robert) Shannon gave us trouble inside.”

Shannon, a 6-8 junior, scored eight of his 11 points during the Blazers’ run.

Yard finished with a career-high 19 points, including 13 in the second half.

“It’s hard to call it one of my better games when we lose,” Yard said. “I just tried to play my game and I played as fair as I could. But it’s tough on the road.”

“I thought he (Yard) played an outstanding game,” said Cassidy. “He came in from junior college (Lassen), and I think he’s just getting to know what it means to be a Division I player.”

UAB (12-8) was playing two nights after losing at ninth-ranked Cincinnati, 40-38, and Blazers Coach Gene Bartow said his team was weary.

“I think fatigue played a part,” Bartow said, “especially with our big men. For that reason, we decided to go with a smaller lineup, and we were able to get away with it. I thought Northridge played a great first half against us, and they got in foul trouble the second.”

Clarence Thrash, at 6-8, had only two points and one rebound in 11 minutes, and 6-7 Willie Chapman had no points and one rebound in seven minutes. The two had shared duties at center this season for UAB.

Northridge’s James Morris, who missed last week’s loss to Boise State, was still not at full strength and had only five points.

“His (back) problem is something that comes and goes,” Cassidy said. “He told me he could go, but it obviously still bothered him.”

Another thing that bothered Morris was the officiating. He made his feelings known with 1:10 left while sitting on the bench and was charged with a technical foul and ejected from the game.

“It was obviously something he said,” said Cassidy. “I wasn’t privy to the conversation, but I’m sure he wasn’t asking (the official) out to dinner.”

The smaller Matadors (7-10) hit 11 of 25 shots from the field each half, but missed all nine of their three-point attempts in the second half. UAB shot 51% from the field in the second half, including five for 15 from three-point range.

Northridge scored 10 consecutive points to lead, 11-5. The lead was 26-24 late in the first half, but CSUN had only two baskets in the final 4:31.

Although the Matadors had an 18-17 rebounding edge in the first half--Peter Micelli getting eight--UAB led, 32-31.

The Matadors went ahead briefly in the second half on two free throws by Micelli, but UAB answered with Reginald Allen’s field goal and never trailed again.

For Northridge, the game was the third of five in a row on the road. The Matadors play Saturday at Southern Utah before traveling to Missouri on Feb. 3.

“The kids are out of school,” Cassidy said, “so it’s a good time to travel. Life’s tough as an independent. You have to play them when you can.”