Northridge Women Fail to Measure Up to USC

The Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team wanted to use Tuesday night’s game against No. 13-ranked USC as a measuring stick.

After a 95-31 loss to USC at the Sports Arena, the Matadors have nowhere to go but up.

The 64-point loss was four points shy of the Matadors’ largest margin of defeat ever, and the 31 points was one short of their all-time low-scoring game, both set in a 98-30 loss to Cal State Fullerton in 1975.

After shooting 51.1% from the field against Nevada on Saturday, Northridge managed only 17.2% against USC, including 12.5% in the first half when the Matadors made only one of 21 two-point shots.

Northridge (1-3) was more successful from behind the three-point arc (29.4%) but Coach Kim Chandler wasn’t happy with any part of her team’s performance.

“We had some aspects within the game we wanted to win,” Chandler said. “But our shots weren’t falling and we didn’t respond well.”

Northridge shot 51.1% in its last game, a 79-66 win over Nevada but never found any kind of rhythm against USC.

Guard Kris Waldorf led the Matadors with nine points. Guards Katina Mines and Carrie Dormine and forward Shannon Crouse each added six.

The game began auspiciously for Northridge as the Matadors made only one of their first eight shots. USC (4-0) took a 15-2 lead.

It was apparent from the outset the Matadors would have trouble scoring inside.

Every time Northridge tried to penetrate, the intimidating duo of 6-foot-5 Lisa Leslie and 6-3 Tina Thompson served as watchdogs.

USC had 10 blocked shots to none for Northridge.

“We tried to work the ball around, we knew we weren’t going to pull off some kind of Cinderella story,” Waldorf said. “We lost sight once we got down by 20 or so of what we wanted to do.”

USC outrebounded Northridge, 58-26, including 18 by Leslie, who led USC with 22 points before being lifted with 10 minutes to play.

Of Northridge’s 12 points in the first half, nine were on three-pointers, two by Waldorf and one by Crouse.

A three-pointer by Waldorf cut the lead to 19-8 8 1/2 minutes into the game, but USC went on a 18-0 run over the next eight minutes.

USC didn’t shoot well early from outside (one of seven three-pointers in the first half), but Leslie, Thompson and 6-4 freshman Michelle Campbell had several easy putbacks to lead USC to a 45-12 halftime lead.

Most of USC’s starters were benched midway through the second half. Reserves Jody Anton and Karleen Shields each scored 10 points in the second half.