Matadors Beat Stars by Free Throw

In a game of playground basketball, Cal State Northridge almost got beat in its own ‘hood by an oldies-but-goodies pickup team.

And a team that showed up late, at that.

A free throw by Chris Yard with three seconds left allowed the Matadors to escape with their second exhibition victory in as many starts, 93-92, over the U. S. International Stars on Monday at Matador Gym.

Northridge, which opens its season on Friday against Stanford, managed to rebound despite trailing the Stars, a contingent of former Division I players, by as many as 10 points in the second half.

The Stars were led by former Iowa guard James Moses, who scored 24 points. Moses, who played one season at Alemany High, drained a series of four three-point baskets early in the second half that the Stars almost made stand up.

Yard scored nine points in the last seven minutes, including the Matadors’ final three points. He hit a five-foot turn-around shot with 33 seconds left to break a 90-90 tie, and then the game-winning free throw on his second of two tries.

The game started 15 minutes late because the Stars had only four players in uniform at game time. Three others still were changing in the locker room.

Johnny Wilkes, who played for Colorado, had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Stars. Howard Cole, a former Cal Poly San Luis Obispo player, added 18 points and eight rebounds.

Andre Chevalier led Northridge with 20 points. Peter Micelli had 18 points and eight rebounds, Yard had a team-high nine rebounds and 17 points, and guard Shawn Stone added 10 points and eight rebounds.