Northridge Is Caught Short in 64-61 Setback

Defense kept the Cal State Northridge basketball team in command for 33 minutes Wednesday night.

But the Matadors’ foul trouble and inept shooting down the stretch enabled Northern Arizona to come back for a 64-61 victory at Northridge.

The Lumberjacks (18-7, 12-3 in the Big Sky Conference) clinched a tie for their second consecutive conference title and need only to dispose of last-place Cal State Sacramento on Friday night to win the championship outright and host the conference tournament March 5-7.

Northridge (10-15, 6-9) has qualified for the tournament, and can take solace knowing it can stay with the champions--at least until the final moments. The Matadors lost at Northern Arizona in overtime, 86-85, on Jan. 31.

“I feel we can beat them,” Matador guard Lucky Grundy said. “We are in the same position we were in last year. We need to play smarter at the end.”

Northridge made only 30.3% of its shots and two layups by Grundy were the Matadors’ only baskets in the last seven minutes, when a 52-49 lead slipped away.

Momentum began turning when forward Jeff Parris and center Kevin Taylor picked up their fourth fouls with about 7 1/2 minutes to play. It was the first time Northridge felt the loss of center Jabari Simmons, who left the team Saturday for personal reasons and is not expected back.

Shooting guard Mike O’Quinn stepped in at power forward and promptly picked up his fourth foul with 6:57 to play. O’Quinn, the Matadors’ leading scorer with a 16.3 average, had 11 rebounds but scored a season-low three points on one-of-10 shooting.

He wasn’t alone. On the heels of making 17 of 24 three-pointers in a 117-65 victory over Sacramento on Saturday, Northridge made only three of 24 from three-point range.

“This was one of our better defensive games,” Braswell said. “But there was a lid on that basket.”