Northridge Effort Seems Half-Baked in 95-90 Loss : Basketball: Second-half struggles continue to frustrate Matadors, who fall to 1-5 after losing to Stephen F. Austin.

At least the members of the Cal State Northridge basketball team recognize exactly why they are losing, even if they aren’t quite sure what to do about it.

The Matadors’ frustration level hit a new high Saturday night when they lost, 95-90, to Stephen F. Austin in the consolation game of the Brigham Young tournament before a crowd of about 3,500.

Northridge needed three Josh Willis three-point baskets in the final 34 seconds just to make it that close. Actually, Stephen F. Austin took a 41-40 halftime lead and led by as many as 16 points late in the second half.

The Matadors (1-5) collapsed because they were dominated inside, and when their outside shots didn’t fall, the long rebounds turned into layups the other way.

Northridge has allowed an average of 48.3 points in second halves this season.

“This is really frustrating,” said Northridge forward Damion Morbley, who scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds. “It’s like, in the first half we are in the game, then in the second half: blowout.”

Morbley said the second-half problems are discussed among the players “at halftime, before the game, after the game. It’s really starting to become an issue.”

The Matadors trailed, 57-53, midway through the second half. But the Lumberjacks then went on a 23-11 run, taking a 16-point lead with 2 minutes 31 seconds to play.

Northridge point guard Trenton Cross said such stretches have been typical for the Matadors in the second half.

“We’ll run our offense, passing and cutting and working hard,” Cross said. “Then in the second half, in the beginning we will do it a little bit, then we get down by three or five points and we put up a three, and another three, and another three.

“Then we are down by three, five, 10, 15.”

Northridge made 12 of 38 three-point shots, but before Willis’ three consecutive oh-by-the-way launches in the final minute gave him 20 points, the Matadors had made only nine of 35 (25%).

And they couldn’t get the ball inside against the bigger and stronger Lumberjacks (4-2), either. Northridge took only 13 shots from inside the lane and Stephen F. Austin took 32.

The Lumberjacks also got 19 offensive rebounds, while Northridge had only 22 defensive rebounds.

The inside problems likely will continue all season for Northridge, which doesn’t have a player on the roster taller than 6 feet 7.

“I don’t have a magical solution,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “We are just going to have to work harder and recruit a couple studs. But I don’t have them now. I have to go with my guys.”

Northridge also played the past three games without 6-7 center Kevin Taylor, who is out because of an injured right knee.

In the first half, the Matadors shot well enough from outside to cover up their deficiencies under the basket.

After the Lumberjacks took a 14-5 lead, Northridge battled back and took a 35-30 lead with 4:43 to play in the half. The comeback was spurred by three players off the bench--Morbley, Willis and Gerald Rhoden.

But as the game moved into the second half, Stephen F. Austin continued to push the ball inside, and the Matadors’ defensive efforts resulted in numerous fouls. As players got into foul trouble, the defense got softer and softer.

The run that put the game away started at the 4:55 mark, when Eric Leftwich made the first of four consecutive layups. The 8-0 run gave Stephen F. Austin a 76-62 lead.

“It’s all a learning experience,” Cross said. “I just hope we can learn from these mistakes.”