In Season’s Shining Moment, Northridge Upsets Loyola

If the Cal State Northridge basketball team is to put a silver lining on an otherwise cloudy season, it will take two more performances just like Tuesday night’s.

Northridge, playing its final regular-season game before the four-team American West Conference tournament that starts Friday, stunned Loyola Marymount with an 81-75 nonconference victory before 679 fans in Matador Gym.

“I think we finally showed the kind of game we are capable of playing,” said junior forward Tom Samson, whose blocked shot with 30 seconds to play preserved a three-point lead.

That was only one of the many times Matador players found themselves at the right place at the right time, helping Northridge (7-19) shock the Lions (18-10).

“I thought Northridge played extremely hard,” Loyola Coach John Olive said.

“The two main factors were they came up with most of the loose balls and long rebounds, and they got a lot of second-chance baskets.”

Ruben Oronoz, who had 21 points--a career high--and 11 rebounds, picked up his fourth double-double in the past six games.

The scoring star of the night, though, was Josh Willis, who scored all 15 of his points in the second half.

After Loyola led by as many as 11 in the first half, the Matadors fought back to pull within one at halftime and take a lead early in the second half.

The lead changed hands seven times in the second half before Willis broke open a 63-63 game by scoring seven consecutive points to give the Matadors a 70-63 lead with 5 minutes 7 seconds to play.

After the Lions took advantage of two of the Matadors’ season-low nine turnovers to pull within 70-69, Willis converted a three-point play to rebuild the lead to four with 3:19 left.

Willis was almost the goat in the final minute, though. He turned the ball over under the Matadors’ basket with Northridge up, 78-75, and 32.5 seconds remaining.

Moments later, though, Samson saved the day with a clean block of Terryl Woolery’s shot.

“He just put it right up on a silver platter,” Samson said. “It was beautiful.”

Ime Oduok, the Lions’ 6-foot-9 Nigerian center who figured to have a field day against the Matadors’ small front line, scored 17 points and had 16 rebounds. Ben Ammerman added 16 points for Loyola.