CSUN Plays Hard Enough, Not Quite Well Enough : College basketball: Matadors make half their shots and register another moral victory before falling, 100-81, to Pac-10’s Arizona State.

They said there would be no more moral victories. Then again, they said that long before Friday night’s game.

That considered, Cal State Northridge basketball players had reason to smile--a little--after dropping a nonconference game against Arizona State, 100-81, before 4,867 at the ASU Activity Center.

The Matadors (1-7) made half their 62 field-goal attempts to establish a season-best shooting percentage. Included were 13 three-point baskets, only three shy of the school record.

Still, Northridge’s aerial attack wasn’t enough to down the top gun of the Pacific 10 Conference, Arizona State guard Stevin Smith.

Smith, whose nickname is Hedake, made seven of 17 three-point attempts and scored a season-high 29 points--enough to earn a change of moniker.

“I’m calling him Migrane instead of just Hedake,” Northridge guard Brooklyn McLinn said. “He was a migrane to us.”

Smith, a senior who already owns Pac-10 records for three-point shots attempted and made, seemed to connect every time the Matadors fought their way to within striking distance.

“He’s all you can handle,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said, “and then some.”

When Smith wasn’t hitting from the perimeter, he was driving and passing off for baskets. finishing with a game-high eight assists along with four steals.

Ron Riley and Dwayne Fontana provided much-needed support, combining for 43 points. Riley’s 22 points were a season-high.

Their contributions were important, and will continue to be, because the Sun Devils are having a devil of a time staying healthy.

The player countdown continued against Northridge when Isaac Burton, the team’s top scorer, twisted his right ankle and was forced from the game late in the second half.

Arizona State has won half its four games, but has lost a key player each time. Burton, who came in averaging 22 points, had 12 points before being injured.

Already sidelined are point guard Marcell Capers (fractured left foot), last season’s most valuable player Mario Bennett (knee surgery) and swingman Quincy Brewer (fractured kneecap).

If Burton’s injury requires recuperation time, Arizona State will be down to six scholarship players.

Against Northridge, that was enough, although the Matadors played with renewed enthusiasm.

“I don’t think we’re going to take this as a loss,” said reserve guard Ryan Martin, who scored a season-high 13 points. “We’re going to use this as a steppingstone. I think we’re going to play good basketball now.”

The Matadors were on the brink of being blown out early when they suddenly started to click.

Down 41-22, they went on an 18-5 run in the final 4:27 of the first half. Brooklyn McLinn, who scored a team-high 16 points, sparked the rally with a pair of NBA-range three-point baskets.

Arizona State started to pull away again early in the second half, taking a 14-point advantage before Northridge rallied once more to cut the Sun Devils’ lead in half.

But that was as close as the game got.

“Every time you’d start to make a run and bam , there goes Smith, or Burton, or Riley,” Cassidy said.

The teams combined to make 24 three-point baskets. Smith had seven of Arizona State’s 11. McLinn was four of six for Northridge, Martin was three of six, Shawn Stone was two of two and Andre Chevalier was two of three.

Stone matched Martin’s 13 points, also scoring in double figures for the first time. Chevalier added 11. Chris Yard, who had reached double digits in seven previous games, was in early foul trouble and finished with six points.

“We made a good effort tonight,” said Chevalier, who had seven assists. “We just need to work on the final outcome.”