CS Northridge Fights Gamely Before Falling : Women’s basketball: Tenacious Matadors have coach predicting that first victory will come soon.

The Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team fell to 0-3 after losing Saturday’s home opener against Northern Arizona, but the Matadors didn’t go down easily.

Northridge, with no seniors on its roster and two freshmen starters, trailed by 21 at halftime but threatened to come back on two occasions before losing, 79-70.

Twice in the second half the Matadors pulled within six points. They opened the half with an 18-5 run that put victory within reach at 52-46.

Two minutes later Northridge trailed, 54-48, after a baseline jump shot by freshman guard Pam Karbowski.

Northern Arizona (2-1), however, went on to increase its lead to 15 with eight minutes to play.

Yet the Matadors kept fighting back.

“This group in two years is going to be fantastic,” CSUN Coach Kim Chandler said. “Right now inexperience is our biggest problem, but they never quit.”

The Matadors got themselves in trouble midway through the first half with poor shooting and an array of turnovers. They had stretches of five and three minutes when they did not score from the field.

Northern Arizona got its first big lead during the Matadors’ five-minute scoring drought. The Lumberjacks scored 15 consecutive points to pull away, 35-16, with 6:33 left in the first half.

Northridge improved its shooting percentage from 43.5% in the first half to 63% in the second. The Matadors finished at 54% from the field and 56.5% from the free-throw line.

Junior guard Shannon Crouse led CSUN with a game-high 21 points. Freshman guard Lisa Vaillancourt had 14 points and Karbowski, who fouled out with 1:31 to play, had 12.

Northern Arizona didn’t shoot well overall (37%) but had some great scoring runs at key times.

Sophomore guard Amy Yanish led the team with 19 points, which included four of five from three-point range. No other players scored in double figures for Northern Arizona.

The team’s first victory will come soon, Chandler believes. “Tonight was very encouraging,” she said.