AREA COLLEGE NOTEBOOK

Cal Lutheran has clinched its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s basketball title since 1994 and will enter the NCAA Division III playoffs next Thursday against an opponent to be determined.

The Kingsmen (18-6, 11-2 in conference play), who finish the regular season tonight against Redlands at Cal Lutheran, likely will be assigned a first-round road game when playoff pairings are announced Sunday.

The basketball court in Cal Lutheran’s small gym is only 86 feet--eight feet shorter than regulation--which precludes a postseason game being played there.

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The Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team plays at Montana tonight in a game televised live on Fox Sports Northwest at 7:35 p.m.

The Matadors (9-15, 5-7) are in sixth place in the Big Sky Conference, clinging to the conference’s final tournament berth. The Big Sky tournament will be played at Idaho State on March 8-10.

Northridge, which has lost four in a row, is a game ahead of Eastern Washington (9-15, 4-8).

Monica Hernandez set a Northridge season record for assists with 126. Vicki Mallet held the previous record of 125, set in 1986-87.

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Mike Frick has taken to his new role as closer on Northridge’s baseball team.

Frick, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior right-hander from Buena High, pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out five, Sunday against Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Frick, who major league scouts are watching closely, leads the Big West Conference with nine appearances and ranks third in the conference with a 1.35 earned-run average. Frick ranks fifth in the Big West with 25 strikeouts and second with two saves.

Last season, Frick was 3-7 in 13 starts with a 6.62 ERA.