It’s Not in Cards for CS Northridge : College basketball: Matadors fall to Montana State, 94-80.

In his 23rd season as a college basketball coach, Cal State Northridge’s Pete Cassidy knows a house of cards when he sees one.

Northridge constructed a flimsy Taj Mahal in the first half against Montana State on Tuesday night in the consolation game of the Fresno Classic.

The Matadors made five three-pointers on their way to shooting 61%, but all it got them was a tie at halftime.

Predictably, Northridge’s shooting returned to normal, and when it did, the Matadors were stuck with the usual result, a 94-80 defeat.

Eric Talley scored 17 points for Montana State (6-3), which snapped a two-game losing streak. Northridge (1-10) dropped its sixth consecutive game, giving the Matadors their worst start since they opened the 1991-92 season with 10 consecutive losses.

Northridge led by as many as nine points in the first half and had a six-point lead with less than two minutes left in the half. When that was quickly toppled in a rash of turnovers, Cassidy got a familiar sinking feeling.

“When you get a lead as we got that lead, with exceptional perimeter shooting, those are false leads and they scare you because that’s not going to continue,” Cassidy said. “If you’re not getting baskets inside . . . then I don’t think over the course of a 40-minute game you have much of a chance for success.”

Half of Montana State’s first 20 points were scored after offensive rebounds, a category in which the Bobcats enjoyed a 12-4 advantage at the half.

The Matadors made 16 turnovers--eight in each half--which were converted into 27 points.

Northridge trailed, 56-52, with 14 minutes to play when Montana State hit eight consecutive shots, including four layups and two three-pointers by Talley.

With eight minutes to go, the Bobcats had forged a 77-63 advantage. Their lead would grow to as many as 20 points.

Cassidy filed the loss among a handful this season that he said were “very discouraging.”

“Montana State certainly is the type of team that we can play with if we don’t self-destruct,” he said. “I think we did an awful lot in that way tonight.”

Dwayne Michaels, Montana State’s 6-10 center, had 13 points, 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals. Nico Harrison and Kwesi Coleman each added 14 points.

Brooklyn McLinn equaled his career high with 18 points for Northridge and the 6-foot guard also led the Matadors with five rebounds.

Andre Chevalier had 12 points and seven assists, and Peter Micelli and Robert Hill each scored 10.