After Northridge Goes Down to 78-67 Defeat, Cassidy Goes Off

Midway into a season that’s been one frustrating development after another, Mt. Cassidy finally erupted on Tuesday night.

After the Cal State Northridge basketball team lost, 78-67, to Division II Grand Canyon in a nonconference game before 274 at Matador Gym, Coach Pete Cassidy fired into the postgame press conference and went on his first public tirade of the season.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Cassidy said as the vessels bulged out of his head. “It [ticks] me off.”

Cassidy, who punctuated his sentences by loudly slamming a lectern on a desk, was particularly upset about the Matadors’ 17 turnovers--two of which came during Grand Canyon’s decisive 15-4 run in the second half--and their eight-of-16 shooting from the free-throw line.

“You can’t turn the ball over against a good team,” he said. “You battle and battle hard to stay in the game, then you fritter the ball away. It’s not. . . right. . . .

“If you can’t make shots from the free-throw line, you are going to get your [tail] kicked.”

The Matadors (4-10) have lost to Grand Canyon at home two seasons in a row. In addition, Northridge has lost two of three home games against Division II teams in the last week.

Grand Canyon, though, is much better than the Colorado School of Mines, which beat Northridge a week ago. The Antelopes (12-1) are a top 20 Division II team.

Horacio Llamas, Grand Canyon’s 6-foot-11 center, played Tuesday night in front of at least one NBA scout. He scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

“They are a really good team, but we are supposed to be Division I,” said Northridge forward Eric Gray, who scored 20 points. “There’s no way I can put them down, but on paper, we are supposed to beat them.”

The Matadors fell behind, 21-9, as Grand Canyon shredded their zone defense.

Midway through the half, Northridge switched to a man-to-man defense that was more effective.

On offense, the Matadors began penetrating more successfully, particularly Damion Morbley, Rod Stinson and Tom Samson.

Morbley, who played his first game since Dec. 19, scored nine points in 14 minutes.

Northridge pulled to within 32-30 on Gray’s offensive rebound and jump shot with 1 minute 21 seconds to play in the half, but the Matadors could not tie the score before halftime.

In the second half the Matadors pulled even, 43-43 and 47-47, but could never take the lead.

By losing, Northridge failed in its fifth attempt for a two-game winning streak this season.