Minor’s Suspension Is Fifth for Northridge

Greg Minor, a sophomore guard from Canyon High, is the fifth Cal State Northridge basketball player to be suspended this season. Minor will miss games Friday at Montana and Saturday at Montana State for his behavior on the bench during the Matadors’ 86-85 loss to Northern Arizona on Saturday.

Minor, the Matadors’ second-leading scorer with a 13.1 average, fouled Northern Arizona’s Ross Land with 1.4 seconds to play in overtime, leading to a free throw that gave the Lumberjacks the victory.

Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said the foul, however, had nothing to do with the suspension. Minor and assistant Eddie Hill argued loudly in the locker room after the game.

“We didn’t like [Minor’s] attitude on the bench,” Braswell said. “It’s something we are not going to tolerate. Our players must respect each other and the coaches. When that is breached, there will be consequences.”

Minor joins forward Brian Hagens on the sidelines. Hagens was suspended six games ago and will miss the rest of the season primarily for academic reasons.

Trenton Cross and Jeff Parris were suspended for preseason practices and an exhibition game after leaving a recruit at a party, and Mike O’Quinn was suspended for a game against Oregon State in November for mouthing off to Braswell at practice.

FOOTBALL

Commitments: Quartz Hill running back Hiram Johnson has committed to play at Army.

“After looking into both the athletics and academics, and seeing what it could offer me, it just seemed like the best place for me” said Johnson, who also considered Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Johnson, 5 feet 11 and 187 pounds, rushed for 649 yards and six touchdowns as a senior at Quartz Hill.

Joey Cuppari, a wide receiver from Westlake, has committed to Colorado State.

Releaguing possibility: The City Section has decided to reconvene its releaguing committee after a survey of schools found support for the formation of new leagues, according to City Section commissioner Barbara Fiege.

Last year, the City Section Interscholastic Athletic Committee rejected a releaguing plan. Fiege said the committee will try again to develop a plan acceptable to a majority of schools. She said the plan would not take effect until the 1999-2000 school year at the earliest.

BASKETBALL

Honored: Dana Sulenski of Pepperdine has been selected West Coast Conference women’s basketball player of the month for January.

In nine games, the junior guard averaged 14.7 points and made 25 of 28 free throws, including the last 23 in a row, in helping the Waves to a 7-2 record. She made 19 of 37 (51.4%) three-point shots.

GOLF

Sanday qualifies: Former Cal State Northridge golfer Jeff Sanday qualified for the PGA Tour’s Buick Invitational by shooting a nine-under par 63 Monday in qualifying at Eastlake Country Club in Chula Vista.

The Buick Invitational will be played Thursday through Sunday at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla.

SOFTBALL

Roberts to Georgia State: Shortstop Corrie Roberts of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Georgia State.

Roberts, who withdrew a previous commitment to New Mexico in November because of a coaching change, will sign April 15.

BOXING

Title fight: Junior-lightweight Robert Garcia of Oxnard, 29-0 with 23 knockouts, will fight Harold Warren for the vacant International Boxing Federation title March 13 at the Miccosukee Indian Gaming Reservation near Miami.

Former U.S. Olympian Fernando Vargas of Oxnard, undefeated in nine professional fights, is scheduled to fight an opponent to be determined on the undercard.

Vargas won his first fight as a junior-middleweight in December.