CSUN Reaches for Big Sky Playoffs
The makeup of the Big Sky Conference men’s basketball tournament is beginning to take form.
The picture should become clearer after this week, when three of the conference’s top four teams square off.
That includes Cal State Northridge, tied for fourth with Weber State with four regular-season games to play.
Northridge (15-8, 7-5 in conference play) is 9-0 at home this season and plays the remainder of its schedule at the Matadome. They face first-place Eastern Washington (10-2) on Thursday night and Portland State (6-6) on Saturday night.
Northridge could pull to within a game of first by winning both games.
“I feel we’re still the best team in the conference,” guard Carl Holmes of Northridge said. “They have to come to our house. I’m confident.”
Second-place Montana (9-4) plays at Cal State Sacramento on Thursday in the Grizzlies’ only game this week.
Third-place Northern Arizona (8-4) plays at home against Portland State on Thursday and Eastern Washington on Friday.
Eastern Washington’s hold on first is precarious, considering the 4-0 conference home records of Northridge and Northern Arizona.
Northridge closes out the regular season next week against Weber State and Sacramento.
“We’re all fighting for playoff [position],” Coach Bobby Braswell of Northridge said. “We’ve got four games at home and they’re going to be tough.”
The Big Sky tournament, which includes the top six teams, is March 9-11 at the home of the first-place team.
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Agony of the feet figures to slow Andre Larry this week. But Larry, a senior forward for Northridge, is expected to be in high tops.
Larry, Northridge’s second-leading scorer, sprained his right ankle late in the game against Montana last week. Two nights later, Larry aggravated the injury by landing on his right leg after making a layup against Montana State.
Compounding matters, Larry has been hobbled by a sprained big toe that has been slow to heal.
“The doctors recommended he sit,” Braswell said. “We’ll limit his reps in practice. But he’s going to play on it.”
Larry is averaging 13.3 points.
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The Northridge women’s team takes to the road for its final four regular-season games, beginning Thursday at Eastern Washington and Saturday at Portland State.
The chances of Northridge (14-8, 8-4) repeating as Big Sky champion are fading. The Matadors, 3-3 since the departure of standout guard Edniesha Curry, have slipped to third, 1 1/2 games behind first-place Montana (10-3).
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Northridge’s baseball team enters the seven-team UNLV/Coors Desert Classic this week at Henderson, Nev.
The Matadors play five games against four opponents--Michigan State, West Virginia, Santa Clara and Oregon State.
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John Clark, men’s basketball assistant at Canyons for eight seasons and former boys’ coach at Saugus High, has retired.
Clark and Lee Smelser, coach at Canyons for 31 years, ended their careers Saturday night with a 90-66 victory over Glendale.
Clark, 54, coached Saugus, an at-large selection, to a Southern Section championship in 1987.