Northridge Can’t Grab a Lifeline and Loses

It was a familiar sight. In this gym. Between these teams.

The result of a free throw was different but, unfortunately for Cal State Northridge, the result of the game was the same.

Will Levy, a 47% free-throw shooter, made a foul shot with four seconds remaining to give Eastern Washington a 78-77 victory over the Matadors on Saturday night at Reese Court.

A year ago on the same court, Brian Heinle of Northridge missed a free throw with two seconds left and the Eagles won by the same score.

The Matadors made only 17 of 33 free throws, while Eastern Washington made 16 of 23.

Northridge (10-5, 2-2 in conference play) shot better from the field, making 52%.

The game was called extremely tight by the officials and Northridge had ample opportunity to build a cushion from the line. But the Matadors made only two of eight free throws in the last 7:22.

“It came down to two things, foul shooting and rebounds,” Coach Bobby Braswell of Northridge said. “We stressed those two areas before the game but we didn’t get it done.”

Northridge was outrebounded, 46-30, a similar disparity to a loss at Portland State on Thursday, when the Matadors were beaten on the boards, 48-31.

“We have to be the hard-hat team,” Braswell said. “It’s sad. We played a good basketball game and we let them win by not boxing out and not making free throws.

“Those are two things you have to do to win on the road.”

Levy was fouled by Marco McCain of Northridge during a scramble for a rebound of a Eastern Washington shot. The Eagles tried to slip hot-shooting Aaron Olson to the line but Northridge protested and Levy took the shots.

The senior forward missed the first, but swished the second after a Northridge timeout.

Marcus Carr got off a running shot from 35 feet with one second to play that was put back by Jeff Parris after buzzer.

Andre Larry tied the score, 77-77, with 39 seconds left on a basket from the lane, and Deon Williams of Eastern Washington dribbled down the shot clock to five seconds before passing to Jamal Jones, who missed the shot that led to the foul on Levy.

Eastern Washington (6-7, 3-0) took sole possession of first place in the Big Sky Conference.

Until the final sequence, it appeared Heinle would have his retribution. The missed free throw is the low point of his three years at Northridge.

This time, Heinle made nine of 14 shots and scored 25 points. He made five of eight free throws, including one of two to give Northridge a 74-73 lead with 4:45 to play.

Parris made only three of nine and Carr made five of nine. Northridge was in the bonus three minutes into the second half and in the double bonus with 12:48 to play.

Fifteen fouls were called in the first four minutes of the half and three Eastern Washington players eventually fouled out.

“We fouled their big men out and just didn’t make the free throws,” Larry said.

Eastern Washington took its first lead in nearly 20 minutes on a three-point play by Olson with 11:10 to play.

Olson finished with 17 points and Williams had 18.