Northridge Loses Time, Game to Marquette

This time, John Burrell’s shot did not fall. So Cal State Northridge did.

The Matadors lost, 69-66, to the host Warriors in the Marquette tournament championship game Saturday night.

The Matadors (4-2) never led during the last 11 minutes, but never trailed by more than three points during the final 9:22. But Marquette (3-1), which won the tournament for the 24th time in 39 years, came through on the defensive end.

After Burrell completed a three-point play with 1:53 to play to tie it at 66, Marquette’s Oluoma Nnamaka made the first of two free throws with 1:24 left and Cordell Henry made the front end of the bonus with 1:10 to play to make it 68-66.

Then came the key possession. After Henry missed the second free throw, Nnamaka fouled Brian Heinle before any time elapsed. Heinle missed badly on the front end of the bonus, and the ball went to a Marquette player before no more than a second elapsed.

Marquette’s Scott Merritt lost the ball with about 43 seconds to go, but the Matadors never gained possession and the ball went out of bounds to Marquette with 38.5 seconds left. The shot clock showed nine seconds, when the Matadors believed it should have shown four or five.

After a brief conference, the officials left the shot clock at nine.

“The two officials did get together and started talking, and maybe [the shot clock was] what they were talking about,” Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said. “They told me to get away.

“You have to live with that. You play at home, and hopefully you get calls like that. It’s just part of the game. You try not to let it tear at you too much.”

Marquette senior guard Brian Wardle, who led all scorers with 23 points and was selected most valuable player, was able to work the shot clock under three but missed a shot.

Wardle came out of a wild scramble for the rebound, and Markus Carr fouled Henry with 16.9 seconds to play. Henry made the second of two free throws and the Matadors had a chance to tie.

Burrell, who made a three-point basket in the closing seconds Friday night to force overtime in an 89-85 victory over Kent State, was pressured by Wardle and didn’t get a good opportunity. His three-point shot bounced off and was grabbed by Henry as the final seconds ticked off.

Heinle, who led the Matadors with 19 points, and teammate Jeff Parris were selected to the all-tournament team. Also selected were Andrew Mitchell of Kent State, Henry and Wardle.