CSUN Again Acquires Orange County Stock : Basketball: Golden West guard Rhoden joins Orange Coast’s Morbley in signing with Matadors.

Orange County might be short on funds but not on basketball players--at least not as far as Cal State Northridge is concerned.

Gerald Rhoden on Thursday became the second junior college player from Orange County to sign a letter of intent with Northridge.

Rhoden, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, averaged 22 points for Golden West College during the 1993-94 season. He sat out last season to focus on his studies.

Rhoden is the fifth junior college transfer to accept a scholarship to Northridge. The Matadors signed Damien Morbley, a 6-6 forward from Orange Coast College, on Tuesday.

Rhoden and Morbley were All-Orange Empire Conference selections two years ago. In addition to their contact during the sometimes-bitter Golden West-Orange Coast rivalry, they have played with and against each other at several south Orange County basketball facilities.

Rhoden, a graduate of Bonita Vista High in San Diego, said he expected to play either guard or small forward for Northridge.

“I liked what they were saying about . . . where I fit in,” Rhoden said. “They said the team was going to be more athletic than it had been in the past, and they’re going to try to take advantage of that.”