CSUN Left at Starting Gate, 90-80 : College basketball: First few minutes of game, second half are Matadors’ undoing against San Diego.

As do most teams, the Cal State Northridge men’s basketball squad has a pregame ritual of stretching and warm-up drills.

Words to the wise: Scrap it.

And, better yet, dispose of the opening act for the second half too.

Northridge had barely broken a sweat at the outset of both halves against the University of San Diego Tuesday and the Toreros already were running away to what ended in a 90-80 victory over the Matadors before 577 at the USD Sports Center.

After 6 minutes 9 seconds, San Diego led, 16-2. Then, after Northridge scrambled back to forge a 41-41 tie at halftime, the Toreros revved up a 19-5 run at the start of the second half.

“I was wondering if we were ever going to score,” Northridge guard Trenton Cross said. “Then, at halftime, it’s the same thing all the time. The momentum just stops.”

Well, at least for CSUN it does.

Guard Doug Harris scored 35 points for San Diego (11-15) and Sean Flannery added 18--mostly from the outside.

Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy claimed his “coaching genius” was at least partial credit for Harris, Flannery & Co. heating up early.

“We were in a zone and they picked it apart pretty good,” Cassidy said. “We thought we’d see how they did against a zone because we’ve had some success zoning people.”

So much for that experiment. Harris made five three-point baskets, giving him a school-record 63 for the season. Flannery made half of his four three-point shots.

Northridge countered with some strong bench play and another solid performance by junior forward Mike Dorsey, who reached double figures in scoring and rebounding in the same game for the fifth time this season.

Dorsey scored 23 points, making eight of 10 field-goal shots, and grabbed 10 rebounds while also contributing four steals.

Ryan Martin, who scored 18 points, and freshman Trenton Cross, who added 16, gave Northridge (7-18) some firepower coming off the bench.

Peter Micelli, Northridge’s captain did not play for the second game in a row--this time by Cassidy’s choice.

Micelli, the Matadors’ second-leading scorer and rebounder, skipped Saturday night’s showdown against Southern Utah to be in his sister’s wedding.

The 6-foot-8 senior showed up, but didn’t remove his warm-ups despite Cassidy’s claim Monday that Micelli would not be punished.

“I liked the combination on the floor,” Cassidy said, adding that he doesn’t plan to change Micelli’s status.

Said Micelli: “He ignored me to show he had the upper hand, I guess. Obviously he wanted to send me a message.”