Northridge Comes Apart After Encouraging Start

The Cal State Northridge basketball team continues to show that it can play with almost anyone.

Just not for 40 minutes.

The Matadors played well for 24 minutes, then collapsed in a 77-59 nonconference defeat against Oral Roberts on Saturday night before 491 at Matador Gym.

Northridge, which lost to Oral Roberts by a season-high 35 points when the teams met in Tulsa last month, hung with the Golden Eagles into the second half this time, trailing, 45-42, with 16 minutes 13 seconds to play.

But Oral Roberts then shoved away the overmatched Matadors with a 12-0 run, pummeling Northridge (5-17) with a collection of dunks and three-point baskets.

“I thought they picked it up early in the second half and our guys didn’t respond,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “Maybe they are bigger and stronger and better than our guys, who were playing as hard as they could and it didn’t do any good. . . .

“If our intensity level drops at all, it’s going to be a blowout. We are not going to be able to go three-fourths or even seven-eighths against a good team and be able to compete.”

Several times this season Northridge has played well for stretches against better opponents, but the Matadors usually find a way to end up with a loss.

“We play good for 25 minutes, and then [the other team] turns up its game a notch and we back down,” point guard Trenton Cross said.

Northridge forward Ruben Oronoz scored a career-high 20 points, but 15 came in the first half, before the Golden Eagles (11-9) put the game out of reach.

The Matadors played well in the first half, which was a switch from the teams’ last meeting, when Oral Roberts jumped to a 40-16 lead.

The biggest difference in the two games was Oral Roberts’ Tim Gill, who made five consecutive three-point shots in the last game but had only one in the first half Saturday.

For the Matadors, the key was the strong play of Oronoz and Tom Samson, who have each improved steadily.

“I felt good,” said Oronoz, who made five of his first six shots. “I wanted to redeem myself.”

Samson scored 15 points, including a putback with 1:10 to play in the first half that tied the score, 34-34, after Northridge had trailed for nearly the entire half.