Northridge Has Little Satisfaction in Loss

To a place where disappointment is a plus.

That’s how far the Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team has risen in its startling climb through the Big Sky Conference.

In recent seasons, losing to Northern Arizona, as the Matadors did, 63-50, Saturday night, caused little consternation. A poor performance was expected and absorbed with a shrug. Only two seasons ago, Northern Arizona blasted Northridge, 95-37.

This time, the Matadors missed a chance to reach double figures in victories for the first time since the 1990-91 season and lost an opportunity to pull even with the Lumberjacks in second place in the conference.

This time, the Matadors (9-9, 5-3 in conference play) believed they should have won. Especially after leading Northern Arizona (13-5, 7-1), 44-41, with 8:50 to play.

“We can play with anybody,” freshman guard Edniesha Curry said. “I felt we were right there but we gave up too many easy layups late in the game.”

And Curry couldn’t make three-point shots, her specialty. She missed all seven tries, the first time this season she has not made a three-point basket.

Despite making only four of 14 shots, Curry had 14 points and was the Matador scoring leader for the 13th time. Senior guard Tammie Mills had 11 points.

“We don’t have many three-point shooters besides Edniesha,” Coach Michael Abraham said. “We showed we can compete, but we don’t have enough clutch players late in the game. I don’t mean only scoring, I mean stepping up on defense, too.”

Whenever Northern Arizona’s RaeAnn West had the ball, the Matadors mostly stepped back and let her score. West, a 5-foot-10 reserve center who came in averaging only 6.4 points, scored a career-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting.

In a five-minute stretch of the second half, a three-point Northridge lead turned into a 53-45 deficit because West made five layups while Matador defenders several inches taller stood by helplessly.

The shorter Northern Arizona post players also hustled for 20 offensive rebounds, and the Lumberjacks held a 47-40 edge on the boards.

“Our post play was horrendous,” Abraham said. “We’ve got 6-foot-3 players who won’t challenge.”

The Matadors at first appeared up to the challenge of beating Northern Arizona for the first time since 1992, taking a 14-7 lead. Northern Arizona went on an eight-point run and the lead changed nine times in the first half before the Lumberjacks scored the last seven points for a 30-24 lead.

Matador notes

Northridge has lost seven in a row to the Lumberjacks. . . . Northern Arizona’s Kara Newman, a junior forward from Buena High and Ventura College, picked up three fouls in the first 14 minutes and scored only two points, both on free throws late in the game.