CS Northridge Stuns Long Beach in Overtime, 81-78

Anthony Moten’s only field goal of the game, a three-point attempt with three seconds to play in overtime, lifted Cal State Northridge to an 81-78 overtime victory over Cal State Long Beach before 2,078 in Matador Gym on Friday night.

Junior point guard Andre Chevalier called the nonconference victory the Matadors’ “biggest win ever.”

Seth Greenberg, Long Beach’s coach, seconded the motion. “They did to us what we did to Kansas,” he said, referring to the 49ers’ victory over the then-No. 1 Jayhawks.

Chevalier set up the winning basket by drawing three defenders to him with a drive to the basket, then throwing a long, one-hop pass to Moten, who was standing slightly beyond the three-point stripe on the baseline.

“I just happened to be standing on that side, waiting for Andre to penetrate,” said Moten, who had missed his only other field-goal try.

Earlier, a basket by Chevalier forced the overtime.

With Long Beach (17-8) ahead, 67-64, he took off from beyond the three-point line and made a running, off-balance bank shot with one second remaining.

Chevalier said he made sure his foot was down outside of the three-point line before leaping up, ducking under a defender, and letting the shot fly.

Lucious Harris, who was one year ahead of Chevalier at Reseda Cleveland High, scored 26 points for Long Beach. Harris’ eighth point, on a free-throw 10:13 into the game, made him the Big West Conference’s career scoring leader, passing former Utah State star Greg Grant.

Harris, a senior, has 2,146 points.

Chevalier said he and Harris, who are close friends, were taunting each other all evening.

“He asked me why I had to hit that last shot (in regulation),” Chevalier said. “I said, ‘I just don’t want you to leave.’ ”

Peter Micelli scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Northridge. Chris Yard scored 13 points and also had seven rebounds to help the under-sized Matadors to a 40-30 lead in rebounds.

“They were giving me the dribble, staying off me and not respecting my shot,” Micelli said. “I guess they didn’t think I could hurt them.”

Greenberg did. “He did exactly to Chris Tower what I told Chris Tower all week he could do to him,” Greenberg said.

Tower, the 49ers’ 6-foot-10 center, had only five points and one rebound in 32 minutes.