After Break, Matadors Brace for Test

A week off for players to heal minor injuries is a positive midway through a basketball season. And that’s the case for Cal State Northridge, which had guards Greg Minor and Carl Holmes hurting after last week’s 101-77 victory over Idaho State.

But the Matadors have won three of their past four, and they hope the hiatus doesn’t put the skids on momentum. Northridge (7-10, 3-4 in conference play) plays three crucial road games in eight days, facing Northern Arizona on Saturday, Montana on Feb. 6 and Montana State on Feb. 7.

Some of the Matadors’ recent success was attributed to Coach Bobby Braswell employing a zone defense instead of the team’s signature pressure man-to-man scheme. Against Northern Arizona (11-6, 5-2), it will be back to the pressure.

“They have several guys who shoot very well, they set screens and move the ball,” Braswell said. “One thing we were able to do last year was pressure them a lot.”

Northridge scored 30 points off 22 Northern Arizona turnovers in a 93-84 victory in the Big Sky tournament. The Lumberjacks defeated the Matadors twice during the regular season.

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Strong week: Cameron Henderson of Moorpark was selected Western State Conference North Division men’s basketball player of the week and Leon Brisport of Valley was picked in the South Division.

Henderson, a sophomore from El Camino Real High, scored 39 points in two games. Brisport, a sophomore from Erasmus Hall High in Brooklyn, had 48 points and 21 rebounds.

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Taylor-made: John Taylor, Valley women’s coach, recorded his 100th career victory Wednesday with the Monarchs’ 84-39 WSC victory over West L.A. Valley is 15-9, 3-1 this season. Taylor, in his fifth season, has a record of 100-60.

VOLLEYBALL

Firing volleys: Former Hoover High opposite hitter Nick Marbach served two aces late in game five and San Diego State upset USC in men’s volleyball Wednesday night.

Marbach, who was selected to The Times’ all-region team last year at Hoover, broke an 11-11 tie with two consecutive aces as the Aztecs won the rally-scored fifth game, 15-12.

Marbach, a 6-foot-8 freshman, finished with 11 kills and six aces.