Northridge Reaches for Rarefied Heights
The Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team already survived the sky falling.
Now the Matadors turn their attention to making the Big Sky Conference fall.
Coach Michael Abraham’s arrest in November for allegedly selling crack cocaine shocked the team, but didn’t sink it. Led by guard Edniesha Curry, one of the nation’s top scorers, the Matadors posted a 6-4 nonconference record.
Frozena Jerro, an assistant under Abraham, has proven an able head coach respected by the players. Optimism permeates a program that reached unprecedented heights last season by finishing third in the conference.
Can the Matadors push their way to the top and qualify for an NCAA Tournament berth? Wasn’t it only two years ago Northridge was 4-23 in an all-too-typical disasterous showing?
Already, the door is ajar.
Montana, a perennial Big Sky power and defending co-champion, is 3-5 and lost at home to Portland, a team Northridge defeated.
“Montana won’t want to give up the throne, but we have a good shot at it,” Jerro said. “We have to continue to work on scoring against a zone because that’s what Montana plays.
“The road to the championship goes through Montana.”
Or Northern Arizona, which tied Montana for the title with a 15-1 conference record last season. The Lumberjacks return two starters, including former Buena High guard Kara Newman.
“I see a lot of parity,” Jerro said. “Northern Arizona, Montana, Montana State and us. Any of us could win it.”
Northern Arizona and Montana State are each 6-4, same as Northridge.
“We didn’t expect to be only 6-4,” Jerro said. “We lost to a couple of teams we should have beaten.”
Besides Curry, who ranks fifth in the nation with a 21.8 scoring average and second in three-point shooting, several other Matadors are promising.
Point guard Tina Greer leads Big Sky players with 26 steals and forward Lynda Amari is second with 25. Amari, a junior transfer from Ventura College, also leads the conference in blocked shots with 11 and averages 11 points.
Greer, who sat out last season after transferring from Xavier, averages 11.8 points and 4.1 assists. The former Washington High star is a perfect complement to Curry in the backcourt, forcing turnovers and igniting the fastbreak.
A key is the return of forward Neda Milic from a leg injury that sidelined her for seven games. Milic, a 6-1 sophomore from Belgrade, Serbia, has had seven rebounds in two of three games since returning.
“Neda is fully healthy, and that is key for us inside,” Jerro said.
Guards LaShaunda Fowler and Jamilah Jones are quick players who play tough defense and each average about six points a game. Centers Keisha Harris and Viveca Lof each average five rebounds.
Montana State is led by center Tennyson Balek, a senior who averages 17.7 points and eight rebounds.
Julie Wastell, a senior from Newbury Park High, is an All-Big Sky guard for Sacramento State.
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CSUN Women’s Season
83 Oakland: 72
74 Portland: 55
75 at CS Fullerton: 57
64 Yale: 74
83 Georgia State: 55
71 at Loyola Marymount: 74
86 at Pepperdine: 90
68 at USC: 77
84 at Cal Poly SLO: 74
70 Oral Roberts: 55
December
30 Northern Arizona: 7:05
January
4 at Idaho State: 7:35
7 at Portland State: 7:05
9 at E. Washington: 7
14 Montana State: 7:05
16 Montana: 7:05
21 at CS Sacramento: 7:05
23 at Weber State: 7:05
28 Idaho State: 7:05
February
6 at Northern Arizona: 7
11 at Montana: 7:35
13 at Montana State: 7
18 E. Washington: 7:05
20 Portland State: 7:05
25 Weber State: 7:05
27 CS Sacramento: 7:05
