Northridge Steals Into Title Game

They 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 sealed the victory when the Lumberjacks’ 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.

The comeback burst was started when Keith Higgins’ steal and subsequent layup pulled the Matadors to within 80-78 with 2:15 left.

Cross stripped the ball with 1:50 to play and drove the length of the court for a game-tying layup with 1:41 remaining.

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 (15-15) will face Montana (20-10) in the championship game at 6:05 PST tonight, with the winner going to the NCAA tournament. ESPN will televise a tape of the game at 9:30.

Montana, seeded second, came into the tournament on a roll, having dismantled arch-rival Montana State, 65-47, in the regular-season finale. The Grizzlies trounced Weber State, 81-56, in Friday night’s first semifinal game.

The Matadors, notoriously slow starters, did everything right early in the game, except, strange as it sounds, putting the ball in the basket. Northridge was playing smothering defense, forcing seven turnovers in the first five minutes. Northridge held Northern Arizona scoreless for 6:47 early in the first half, but could not hit open shots, scoring only seven points during that span to take a 9-5 lead.

Derrick Higgins, Northridge’s best offensive player lately, Cross and Kevin Taylor, the best defensive forward, each were called for two fouls in the first seven minutes and spent most of the first half on the bench. Center Tom Samson had two fouls in the first half and picked up two more in the first minute of the second half.

Despite 18 first-half fouls and 41% shooting, the Matadors held small leads for much of the see-saw half and never trailed by more than three points.

Northridge was able to take a 42-41 halftime lead because guard Gerald Rhoden sank four of six three-point shots. The Matadors also got excellent production from walk-on forward Rod Stinson, who had eight points in the first half.

The second half began ominously for the Matadors, who picked up five fouls in under than four minutes, and the Lumberjacks pulled away. Northern Arizona’s Michael McNair converted a three-point play to give the Lumberjacks a 58-51 lead.

Andrew Mavis’ three-pointer with 8:21 to play gave the Lumberjacks a 70-60 lead.

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Big Sky Conference Tournament At Northern Arizona University

All Times Pacific

First Round

* No. 6 Cal State Northridge 74, No. 3 Montana State 56

* No. 4 Weber State 68, No. 5 Idaho State 58

Semifinals--Friday

* No. 2 Montana 81, Weber State 56

* Cal State Northridge 93, No. 1 Northern Arizona 84

Championship--Tonight

6:05 p.m.; Televised on tape-delay basis on ESPN at 9:30 p.m.