Matadors Aim for Greater Heights

What’s all this hoopla about the Cal State Northridge men’s basketball team?

Sure, the Matadors are tabbed to win the Big Sky Conference title. Yes, it might be the best Northridge team ever.

But when a local television sports reporter recently visited Northridge to preview the school’s men’s team, microphones and cameras were packed away by the time Coach Frozena Jerro and the Matador women’s team arrived for practice.

“They don’t care about us,” Jerro said, sarcastically. “We’re not important.”

In case anyone has forgotten, Jerro and the Matadors already have a Big Sky title to their credit. They’re picked to finish second to Montana this season. And the last two seasons have been anything but uneventful.

Two seasons ago, the Matadors made a surprising championship run after the season began with their coach in jail and Jerro on the bench as an interim coach. Jerro replaced Michael Abraham after he was arrested on federal cocaine-trafficking charges.

Last season, Northridge came close to repeating, losing to Montana, 66-53, in the Big Sky tournament final. For the Matadors (18-10), the stretch run was impressive considering the midseason departure of Big Sky most valuable player Edniesha Curry, who quit the team after disagreements with Jerro and her assistants.

This season, Northridge will seek tranquillity off the court while Jerro, entering her second season on a permanent basis, continues to establish herself.

“I feel I’m still learning on the fly,” said Jerro, a former standout at Arizona State. “I don’t feel like I’m totally confident and I don’t know if I ever will be. But I’m starting to develop my own style.”

Northridge will rely on size this season with the addition of transfer Kristi Rose from Utah and freshman Jennifer Shetters from Oregon. Rose is listed at 6 feet 4, Shetters at 6-3. But when the two appeared together at media day, Shetters appeared an inch taller than Rose.

Jerro beams when sizing up the Matadors’ twin towers.

“Of course, we are going to use them,” she said.

Rose, a former Times’ All-Valley center from Palmdale High, led the Utes to three consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships. She spent last season on the bench at Northridge, sitting out a season under NCAA rules.

“I think we have a lot of talent on this team,” Rose said. “Of course, you can have all the talent in the world and not win.”

The Matadors’ roster is filled with new faces, but returning players in key positions will aid in transition. Senior guard LaShaunda Fowler, among the most experienced ball-handlers, will guide the offense. Guards Porsche McAllister and ReShawnda Richardson played considerably, as did forward Ebony Davis and wing Myeesha Saleem.

“Things don’t seem better or worse, they just seem different,” Fowler said. “I’m not saying that things were bad last year, it’s just a different atmosphere. We have a lot of new players. Our post players kind of stand out now. But we’re still learning. We’ll do a lot more this year.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

A Closer Look

NORTHRIDGE SCHEDULE

Date: Opponent, Time

Nov. 18: UC IRVINE, 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 24: **Mississippi State, 4 p.m.

Nov. 25: **New Mexico/Nicholls St., TBA

Nov. 28: CS FULLERTON, 5:05 p.m.

Dec. 2: ***California, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 3: ***Florida Int’l/Loyola, TBA

Dec. 9: SAN DIEGO, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 17: Pepperdine, 2 p.m.

Dec. 19: Nevada Las Vegas, 7 p.m.

Dec. 21: Arizona State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 29: VIRGINIA, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 4: *WEBER STATE, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 6: *CS SACRAMENTO, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 11: *NORTHERN ARIZONA, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 13: *Idaho State, 6:05 p.m.

Jan. 18: *Portland State, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 20: *Eastern Washington, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 25: *MONTANA STATE, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 27: *MONTANA, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 1: *CS Sacramento, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 3: *Weber State, 6:05 p.m.

Feb. 8: *IDAHO STATE, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 10: UC Riverside, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 17: *Northern Arizona, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 23: *Montana, 7:35 p.m.

Feb. 25: *Montana State, 6:05 p.m.

Mar. 1: *EASTERN WASHINGTON, 7 p.m.

Mar. 3: *PORTLAND STATE, 7:05 p.m.

Mar. 8-10: Conference tournament, TBA

* Big Sky Conference game

** New Mexico tournament

*** California tournament

All times Pacific / Home games in CAPS

NORTHRIDGE ROSTER

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No. Player P Ht Yr 3. Kameelah Purdom F 5-11 Jr. 10. Cheryl Flores G 5-6 Jr. 12. Alicia LaFromboise G 5-8 Fr. 21. Monica Hernandez G 5-7 So. 22. Denise Cardenas F 5-11 Sr. 23. LaShaunda Fowler G 5-6 Sr. 24. Porsche McAllister G 5-6 Jr. 25. ReShawnda Richardson G 5-9 Sr. 31. Myeesha Saleem F/G 6-0 Jr. 32. Sha’Tasha Allen G 5-9 Jr. 34. Ebony Davis F 6-1 Jr. 42. Jenny Shetters F 6-3 Fr. 44. Kristi Rose F 6-4 Sr. 52. Karolin Bidrussian F 5-9 Jr.

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