Notre Dame Breaks Streak at Northridge’s Expense
Good day for Cal State Northridge.
Bad night.
Northridge had an enjoyable tour of some of the historical landmarks around the Notre Dame campus on Monday, and even got to glad-hand Irish football Coach Lou Holtz after its morning shoot-around.
Then the Matadors went out and graciously helped Notre Dame snap a six-game losing streak, 76-58, before 8,402 at Joyce Center.
Typically, the luck of the Irish was not with Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy, who started his head coaching career at Notre Dame--the high school in Sherman Oaks.
Of late, Cassidy & Co. seem to be governed by Murphy’s Law.
First came the tragedy of the Jan. 17 earthquake, then the death of center Peter Micelli’s father, then the news that forward Chris Yard was out for the season with knee and hand injuries.
Cassidy hoped a return to basketball on a two-day trip that started Saturday in Chicago against Northeastern Illinois would be “therapeutic.”
For the mind, perhaps. But not for the basketball skills.
Against Notre Dame, the Matadors (3-14) committed 17 turnovers and shot poorly--41%--even by their standards.
Asked to sum up the experience, Cassidy replied, “Life on the road is hell.”
Coach, get used to it. Northridge doesn’t have a home game for another 10 days. And even that, with the damage to the team’s home court, seems questionable.
On the bright side, the Matadors have seen the last of Notre Dame forward Monty Williams.
Williams, a standout player on an otherwise average team, paced Notre Dame (6-13) with 20 points--a modest total considering he scored 34 against Duke and 31 against Providence in his previous two games. He also had 15 rebounds.
Guards Andre Chevalier and Brooklyn McLinn paced Northridge with 15 and 14 points. However, the Matadors’ starting front line of Micelli, Brent Lofton and Shawn Stone combined for only 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Irish, who play host to used-to-be top-ranked UCLA on Saturday, earned a 40-24 rebounding edge and outscored Northridge, 36-14, inside the key.
Northridge did score sympathy points with an unusually polite Irish crowd and a local media contingent, which were far more curious about the quake than they were Northridge’s basketball fortunes.
“The quake had nothing to do with this game,” Micelli said. “We just have to play harder.”
Northridge led only once, 2-0, though the Matadors were only down by a basket, 24-22, with 4 minutes 30 seconds in the half. Then the Irish ran off nine consecutive points.
Notre Dame boosted its lead to as many as 20 points in the second half before Coach John MacLeod mercifully emptied his bench. All 16 players in uniform saw action, and 11 scored. Guard Keith Kurowski had 13 points for Notre Dame and reserve floor leader Admore White had eight points nine assists and four steals.
The Irish had not won since upsetting Missouri, 77-73, on Jan. 12. “It’s great to see the guys smiling and laughing again,” MacLeod said. “It’s an ordeal when you go 2 1/2 weeks without a win.”
Northridge, which has lost four in a row, can relate. The Matadors’ last win came more than three weeks ago.
