Matador Menace
They heard the name and, after watching her on video, they know Becky Hammon is the real deal.
“We haven’t played against anyone as complete as her,” said Frozena Jerro, the Cal State Northridge women’s basketball coach. “She brings the whole package.”
Among Jerro’s tasks is devising a plan to contain--can she really be stopped?--Hammon when the No. 15-seeded Matadors (21-7) meet No. 2 Colorado State (31-2) on Friday night in an NCAA West Regional first-round game in Fort Collins, Colo.
Many have tried and failed.
Hammon, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, is Colorado State’s heart and soul, a three-time Western Athletic Conference player of the year who has the ability to singlehandedly carry the Rams.
She averages 22.6 points and leads the Rams with 154 assists and 106 three-point baskets. Her 42 points in Colorado State’s 75-68 victory at Nevada Las Vegas on Feb. 25 tied her career single-game high and she is the WAC’s career scoring leader with 2,662 points.
The Hammon-led Rams, ranked No. 4, are Northridge’s most formidable opponent this season.
They cruised to the WAC regular-season title and won 19 consecutive games before losing to Southern Methodist, 65-49, in the conference tournament final Saturday.
Hammon had a subpar game against the Mustangs, scoring 13 points and shooting 25% from the field--perhaps exposing Colorado State’s vulnerability when she is not at her best.
But Tom Collen, Colorado State’s coach, said it would be a mistake for Northridge and others to draw conclusions from that game.
“We’re more than Becky Hammon,” Collen said. “But when she’s not on, other kids have to step up.
“She just had an off-night. She has as many skills as any player in the [NCAA] tournament. She’s very versatile.”
The same applies to Northridge sophomore guard Edniesha Curry, an All-Big Sky Conference selection who sparks the Matadors’ explosive uptempo attack.
Curry averages 18.6 points and scored 47 points in two games last weekend, leading the Matadors to the Big Sky tournament championship and their first NCAA Division I tournament.
For Curry, the chance to face Hammon is a welcome opportunity, although Jerro isn’t sure who she’ll assign to defend Hammon.
“I look forward to all the matchups,” said Curry, from Palmdale High. “This one is going to be really great. She’s considered one of the elite. Who wouldn’t be excited to play her?”
The Matadors, venturing into uncharted territory, are overwhelmed simply to be in the tournament. They rallied under Jerro, who on Sunday was hired by Northridge after coaching on an interim basis this season. Northridge has won more games than any Matador team since the 1988-89 squad finished 22-9 in Division II.
Northridge could match that victory total by upsetting Colorado State, but first the Matadors must figure out how to stop Hammon.
“There’s not a whole lot she can’t do,” Jerro said. “She sees the whole floor. She’s an excellent passer and will penetrate if you let her. I don’t think in our [conference] we have seen anyone as complete her.”