Northridge Takes Six Minutes to Score and Another 34 to Lose, 70-55

Those talking to Cal State Northridge basketball Coach Pete Cassidy after his team’s 70-55 loss to Samford on Friday night were trying to be diplomatic, but the veteran coach would have none of it.

“It was ugly,” Cassidy said of the Matadors’ first-round loss in the Tennessee-Chattanooga tournament. “At least from our perspective. It was not a pretty sight at all.”

It was expected that Northridge would struggle to score with leading scorer and rebounder Damion Morbley having been left at home to shore up his grades.

But this bordered on the ridiculous.

More than six minutes into the game, the Matadors were still looking for their first basket. Luckily for them, Samford had only scored five points.

That’s when Samford guard Joey Davenport decided to put on a one-man crusade to prove shooting isn’t a dying art in college basketball.

The 6-foot-1 senior made three three-point shots in a two-minute span that more than offset Northridge’s first five points.

When Davenport’s third three-pointer left the bottom of the net, Samford led, 14-5.

Northridge (2-8) struggled on.

With 5:29 to play in the first half, the Matadors trailed, 26-18.

Then Davenport struck again, making three more three-pointers in a little over a minute to push the lead to 37-18.

“The score is eight points, and all of a sudden, it’s a blowout,” Cassidy said.

Davenport, who led all scorers with 30 points, had 20 in the first half. His damage had been done.

Though the Matadors shot better in the second half and even cut the deficit to 61-50 with 4:28 left, the outcome was never in doubt.

“They cut us up with their offense,” Cassidy said. “With their blocking and moving, they did a good job of getting people open.

“And if Davenport got open, he made it. He was a killer to us.”

The Matadors play South Carolina State (4-3) in tonight’s consolation game.

Samford (5-3) plays Tennessee-Chattanooga in the championship game.