CSUN Fouls Up in New Mexico : College basketball: Lobos get 36 more free throws than Matadors in 86-73 victory.

Coach Pete Cassidy shot a glance at a sheet of statistics after the game Wednesday and a couple of the numbers glared back.

Six and 11.

Thirty-six and 47.

He couldn’t resist a small smile.

For the Cal State Northridge basketball team, just another night on the road.

The smaller numbers were Northridge’s free throws and attempts.

The larger digits belonged to New Mexico.

“I don’t have a good defense for free throws,” Cassidy cracked.

He needed one.

New Mexico used its big edge at the free-throw line to down Northridge, 86-73, in the first round of the Lobo Invitational before a near-capacity crowd of 15,736 at The Pit.

Northridge will play Brown (3-4) at 5 p.m. PST today. Brown lost Wednesday to North Carolina Charlotte, 76-53.

Northridge made four more field goals than New Mexico and converted 11 three-point baskets to the Lobos’ two. It just wasn’t enough.

“I guess we played Ma Bell defense,” Cassidy said, continuing his effort to laugh it off. “We reached out and touched someone.”

The Matadors (2-6) fell behind, 8-2, at the outset, then played some of their best basketball of the season, taking control and leading by as many as 11 points.

Four players combined to make five three-point baskets for Northridge in the first half. Take away Ryan Martin’s one-for-seven shooting and the Matadors made 15 of 23 field-goal attempts.

Northridge held the advantage from the middle of the first half until Greg Schornstein scored on the second of back-to-back layups with 11:49 to play, giving New Mexico the lead, 57-55.

In the next six minutes, the Lobos outscored Northridge 15-5, with eight of their points coming from the free-throw line.

During that stretch, the Matadors made only one field goal while rushing several bad shots. Shane O’Doherty, Northridge’s 6-11 center, and forward Mike Dorsey, who hasn’t made a three-point shot this season, were among those casting off from long range.

“We were doing a good job of inside-outside,” Cassidy said, referring to his team’s ball movement. “Then for some reason we take four perimeter shots without a hint of looking inside.”

Martin, who rebounded from his first-half shooting woes to score 13 points, attributed Northridge’s poor shot selection to a lack of experience.

“We had the crowd out of it in the first half,” Martin said, “but when they came back and took the lead on us, I think we panicked a little.

“Guys are just not used to being in big games at the end right now.”

Based on Northridge’s last road trip, that’s certainly true.

The Matadors were outscored by a combined 98 points in losses to Cincinnati and Xavier.

“I don’t know how they played in their wins, but they played very well tonight in a loss,” New Mexico Coach Dave Bliss said of Northridge.

Brian Hayden paced New Mexico (5-4) with a career-high 26 points. He made 14 of 17 free throws. Marlow White added 15 points, all in the second half. Clayton Shields had 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds, David Gibson added 12 points and Charles Smith had 10.

New Mexico built most of its final margin by making 10 free throws in the last two minutes.

“That’s the home court for you,” said Ruben Oronoz, who paced Northridge with 18 points and six rebounds. “Everywhere we go, it doesn’t get any easier.”

Especially not here in Loboland.

New Mexico has won 15 consecutive games in its tournament and has won 20 of 29 tournament titles.

“You could call this a moral victory just because of the way we played,”’ Oronoz said. “Coming into The Pit, giving them a close game and leading in the first half are all positive things for us.”

Northridge might have fared better with swingman Shawn Stone, who is at home recovering from bronchitis. Stone’s absence forced Cassidy to play freshman Trenton Cross and walk-on Ozan Korkut during key stretches of the second half.