Chevalier Leaves His Mark in Final Game : College basketball: Senior guard scores 38 to set school record in Northridge’s 95-87 victory over San Diego State.

They didn’t pinch Andre Chevalier.

Instead, they dumped a cold bucket of water on him.

Nope, it wasn’t a dream. He actually did get wet.

On a night when everything went right for him, a postgame ice bath did little to cool off Cal State Northridge’s senior point guard.

He was hot and happy.

Needing a career-high point total to become Northridge’s all-time scoring leader, Chevalier got it--and then some--to lead the Matadors to a stirring 95-87 victory over San Diego State Thursday night in a nonconference basketball game before 1,339 at Peterson Gym.

Chevalier, who needed 29 points to break Jim Malkin’s 32-year old record of 1,301, poured in 38--including 26 in the second half when Northridge shot a blistering 63.6%.

“My last game couldn’t have been better,” said Chevalier, a 6-foot senior. “Everything was perfect. The coaching--everything.”

Indeed it was. Perhaps especially the coaching.

Chevalier had only 12 points with 18 minutes to go, then exploded for 14 points in a span of a little over five minutes as Northridge coaches relayed plays calling his number.

What appeared a concerted effort in fact was exactly that. “They wanted to get the record out of the way so I could concentrate on the game,” Chevalier said.

And take a rest.

Chevalier broke the record on a free throw that completed a three-point play with 7:08 left. He immediately looked toward the Northridge bench, furiously patting his head with his right hand.

No, he wasn’t signaling that he had risen to the top of the scoring charts.

He was asking out.

Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy, who promised Chevalier as many minutes as the player could muster in his final college game, quickly obliged.

Cassidy said he didn’t know how many points Chevalier had at that juncture, but the rest of the bench certainly did. There were high-fives all around.

Chevalier said teammates on the bench were keeping him abreast of his progress, but even then he temporarily lost track during his flurry of second-half points.

“The points were coming so fast,” Chevalier said.

Career point 1,302 put Northridge up, 73-68, but San Diego State went on a run to tie the score, 77-77, on a layup by Terrence Hamilton with 3:57 to play.

However, the Aztecs made only three more field goals--the final two with less than 30 seconds to go and Northridge holding a nine-point lead.

Chevalier, whose point total set a Northridge Division I single-game record, tacked on nine more in the final 3 1/2 minutes to help the Matadors pull away in their final game of the season.

San Diego State (10-15) got 25 points and nine rebounds from Carlus Groves, 16 from Derric Croft and 14 from Hamilton.

For Northridge, Brooklyn McLinn backed Chevalier with 16 points. Peter Micelli added 14 and Ryan Martin had 10.

Chevalier made 13 of 23 shots and 12 of 15 free throws. His previous high for shots was 16 against Southern Utah in 1992.

“Even if he had to shoot 30 times he was going to get (the record),” McLinn said. “It was just as important to me and the team as it was for Andre to get that record.”

McLinn, who also completed his career, just missed getting a record for himself. He had four steals to give him 61 for the season, just one shy of the Northridge record set by Derrick Gathers in 1989-90.

Still, the former nonscholarship walk-on said the final memory of his senior season will be a pleasant one.

“It was like you want to cry in times like these of happiness,” McLinn said. “But we’ve had so much sorrow this season I don’t think I could get up a tear right now.”

McLinn was referring not to Northridge’s 18 losses--but losses off the court from the Jan. 17 earthquake, the death of Micelli’s father, Nicholas, and season-ending maladies suffered by seniors Chris Yard and Brent Lofton.

“I’m very happy, just ecstatic for the players,” Cassidy said. “They’ve been through a lot. . . . We have to be pleased, and I am.”