Northridge Finds Colorado School of Mines Just II Tough, 63-59

On the bright side for the Cal State Northridge basketball team, at least not many people were there to see what the Matadors did on Tuesday night.

“This is embarrassing,” point guard Trenton Cross said after Northridge lost, 63-59, to Colorado School of Mines. “They came to our house, a Division II school, and beat us.”

With the Fiesta Bowl being played at the same time and with Northridge classes out of session, only 139 fans were at the game.

Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy was despondent, unable to explain how his team could play such a flat, emotionless game.

“We definitely did not play with any emotion or passion or energy or concern about what was happening on the court,” Cassidy said. “It was a horrible, horrible game from my perspective.”

Particularly puzzling for the Matadors is how they could play so poorly after playing well in a 64-59 victory over South Carolina State on Saturday.

“It took every good thing we did last game and flushed it down the toilet,” said Northridge senior Eric Gray, who scored 13 points.

The Matadors (3-9) shot a respectable 43%, but they hit only five of 24 three-point shots.

The Orediggers (6-6) made 44% of their shots, including nine of 19 three-pointers.

“If you don’t have any defense on you, you are going to hit,” Cross said.

After trailing for most of the game, Northridge pulled to within three points late in the second half.

The teams traded baskets and remained three points apart until 44 seconds remained when Raul Varela sank a three-pointer with six seconds on the shot clock, giving the Orediggers a 59-53 lead.

The Matadors put up a barrage of desperate three-pointers in the final minute, but the shots missed. Badly.

Gray, normally an excellent three-point shooter, continued to struggle from long range. He made one of 10 three-pointers.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “I’ve never shot this badly in my life.”

The Matadors played lethargically in the opening minutes, falling behind, 9-4.

Cassidy tried the strategy he used against St. Mary’s earlier this season--putting in fired-up walk-ons Lucky Grundy, Walter Jefferson and Rod Stinson.

It worked momentarily, as Northridge took an 11-10 lead, but the Orediggers built a 35-27 lead by halftime.

“I don’t know if they lulled us to sleep or what,” Gray said. “It looked like we were already asleep.”

Damion Morbley, Northridge’s leading scorer and rebounder, was on the bench but not in uniform because of the flu, Cassidy said.

Morbley missed the last three games because of academic problems. Cassidy said he will be allowed to play while he takes intersession classes to try to raise his grade-point average to the school-required 2.0.

Morbley will be declared ineligible if his GPA remains below 2.0 when the spring semester starts Jan. 29, Cassidy said.

Center Kevin Taylor, who played for the first time in nearly a month last week, is still bothered by a sore right knee. Taylor did not dress after playing last weekend.