James Braswell Jr., Father of CSUN Basketball Coach, Dies

James Braswell Jr., 68, father of Cal State Northridge basketball Coach Bobby Braswell, died early Tuesday of complications from pneumonia, the school announced.

Bobby Braswell is unsure if he will coach the Matadors in their home opener tonight at 7:05 against Cal State Dominguez Hills, or Saturday at Loyola Marymount, a school spokesman said.

Braswell’s assistants are Eddie Hill, Mike Johnson and Brian Haloossim.

Fight game: Boxer P.J. Goossen of North Hollywood has pulled out of an International Boxing Organization title fight with Rene Arredondo scheduled for next month at the Reseda Country Club over a financial dispute with promoter Peter Broudy.

“We could not reach a business agreement,” said Pat Goossen, who trains and manages his son. “He offered a sum for the fight, then he came back with one-third less that he wanted to write down on the contract.”

Goossen instead has signed to fight an opponent to be determined in a pay-per-view program in Palm Springs in January.

Broudy, in place of Goossen’s appearance on the Dec. 19 card at Reseda, has scheduled a lightweight title fight between Juan Lescano and either Ruben Castillo or Danny Lujan.

Broudy said he offered Goossen (17-0), IBO superwelterweight champion, $4,000 for the fight. He claims he did not promise Goossen a higher sum.

“Pat said, ‘You promised us $6,000,’ ” Broudy said. “ ‘I said I thought I could get you $6,000.”

Said P.J. Goossen: “That’s fine. I’m not into getting my head beaten in for nothing.”

Catching on: The Northridge baseball team has shored up its catching position by signing Brian Wagner of Sacramento City College, a junior who has been drafted by two major league teams.

Wagner, who attended Tokay High in Lodi, had committed to Miami but needed to finish his associate of arts degree this fall. He reconsidered, and after taking a recruiting trip to Texas, decided on Northridge, which last season boasted All-American catcher Robert Fick.

Wagner, drafted in 1994 by the Cleveland Indians and in ’95 by the Dodgers, will compete against junior Casey Cheshier and freshman Jeremy Sickles.

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Weir out: Julie Weir, a senior defensive specialist for the Northridge women’s volleyball team, will miss the rest of the season after undergoing an appendectomy Tuesday at Northridge Hospital.