Northridge’s Comeback Puts NCAA Bid in Reach

The Matadors stole one.

Cal State Northridge, which has shown it is never out of a game, rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final six minutes of a Big Sky Conference tournament semifinal basketball game against top-seeded Northern Arizona on Friday night, converting steals on three consecutive possessions for a 93-84 victory before 4,457 at the Walkup Skydome.

The Matadors (15-15) will meet Montana (20-10) for the conference’s automatic NCAA tournament berth in the championship game at 6 tonight (tape-delay on ESPN at 9:30).

Northridge sealed the Friday’s victory when Northern Arizona’s Billy Hix, trying to inbound the ball with 59 seconds to play, called a timeout his team didn’t have. Trenton Cross made both free throws on the technical foul to give the Matadors a four-point lead.

Northridge held on to the lead when Tom Samson blocked a three-point shot and Lucky Grundy sank all four of his free throws, pushing the lead to eight.

The comeback burst was started by Keith Higgins’ steal and his subsequent layup pulled the Matadors within 80-78 with 2:15 on the clock.

Trenton Cross then stripped the ball with 1:50 on the clock and went the length of the court for a game-tying layup with 1:41 to play.

On Northern Arizona’s next trip, Derrick Higgins stole the ball and drove for a layup identical to Cross’, this one giving the Matadors an 82-80 lead with 59 seconds to play.

The Matadors, notoriously slow starters, did everything right early in the game, except making shots. Northridge was playing smothering defense, forcing seven turnovers in the first five minutes.

Montana 81, Weber State 56--Ryan Dick and Kirk Walker each scored 16 points to lead Montana (20-10) into its second Big Sky championship game in three years.

The second-seeded Grizzlies, who had five players score in double figures, blew a close game open late in the first half and held off the Wildcats (15-13) by shooting 62.5% in the second half.