Northridge Batters Irvine Psyche

For a moment, UC Irvine appeared to have found itself--and an opponent it could compete against. For a moment the self-help classes the Anteater players attended this week seemed to have quite an effect.

Then the moment passed quickly, and it was back to being schooled.

Cal State Northridge gave a rather harsh lesson in a 77-53 victory in front of 493 at Northridge on Saturday. Dunk after dunk--nine in all--drove the point home. It was going to take more than a seminar to get Irvine out of this rut.

The Anteaters (0-6) went through two three-hour self-development programs this week intended to put them on the road to recovery from Sunday’s 107-45 loss to USC. Apparently, all Northridge did to prepare was practice.

The Matadors (3-5) pulled away late in the first half, then avoided a second-half fade for the first time this season. Keith Higgins (20 points) and Derrick Higgins (12 points) saw to that by turning Irvine turnovers into dunks to turn a 38-30 halftime lead into a comfortable victory.

Heady stuff for a team that has lost four games in the final 10 seconds this season.

“My blood pressure is probably the lowest it has been at a basketball game for a long time,” Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said.

The pulse rate of Irvine Coach Rod Baker may be headed in the other direction. This was the ninth consecutive loss he has endured, dating to last season, and one he went to some lengths to avoid, including a little extra work in the area of self-help.

“We got to know ourselves,” said Guard Juma Jackson, who sat out the second half because of a mild concussion. “We can walk out of here with our heads up, knowing that it’s not like us to lose.”

It was Saturday.

Jackson’s steal and dunk with 11 minutes left in the first half gave Irvine a 14-9 lead--its largest of the season. The Anteaters then reverted to form. They finished with 23 turnovers and were outrebounded, 39-27.