CSUN Loses Big Sky Opener

One team was fresh off a 44-point victory, the other a 50-point drubbing.

So much for needing momentum heading into conference play.

Portland State, humbled by Duke only three days earlier, shocked Cal State Northridge, 83-75, behind a record shooting performance in a Big Sky Conference opener Friday night in front of 857 at the Peter W. Stott Center.

For the Vikings, momentum wasn’t nearly as important as forward Jason Hartman, a transfer from Washington who scored a career-high 33 points, making nine of 16 shots and all 14 of his free throws.

Hartman, a junior from Thousand Oaks High, scored 22 in the second half and helped stave off a late Northridge rally by finishing a fast break with a dunk and free throw to lift Portland State’s lead to 78-70 with 45.4 seconds to play.

This was Hartman’s sixth game since gaining eligibility, and he came in shooting only 36%.

“We’ve been playing against gigantic teams and I haven’t had looks inside,” he said. “Midway through the second half they got me the ball on consecutive possessions and it was a chance for me to make something happen.”

By making nearly every shot. And Hartman’s heat was contagious. The Vikings shot a school-record 65% from the field, making 26 of 40, and made 27 of 33 free throws.

Apparently, getting flattened by Duke, 89-39, did not dampen the Vikings’ confidence.

“Duke would do that to any team in the Big Sky, so we just forgot about that game quickly,” Hartman said. “This was a victory against one of the best teams in our conference, that’s a whole different thing.”

This game might not be forgotten quickly by Northridge (4-7, 0-1). The Matadors stayed nearly even through the first half, but Portland State scored the first eight points of the second half and built a 15-point lead with 9:10 to play.

O’Quinn, the Matadors’ leading scorer, made three of 12 shots and finished with 10 points.