A First: CSUN Goes Mad

Matador Mania. Nice ring to it.

Goes well with March Madness too.

Cal State Northridge, the little team that could--and just might--advanced to its first NCAA tournament Saturday night, knocking off Eastern Washington, 73-58, in the Big Sky Conference tournament final before a frenzied 1,783 at Northridge.

The Matadors (22-9), who raised eyebrows this season with a victory over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, continued to raise their profile by winning a rubber match with Eastern Washington (17-11) before an ESPN2 audience.

Now, Northridge, which moved to Division I in 1990, will have a chance to shake things up at the Big Dance.

“In a tournament like [the NCAA], anything can happen,” Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said. “I don’t know where we’ll be [seeded], but I like our position. Anything can happen on any given night.”

It was a memorable evening at the tiny Matadome. The so-called “Matamaniacs,” enthusiastic supporters, painted their bare torsos with the school colors of red and black.

Pandemonium followed the final buzzer, with spectators leaping over railings and tables to join the celebration on the floor.

“I always see other teams on TV jumping up and down when they win a championship and looking stupid,” guard Carl Holmes said. “Now, I know why they do it.”

Braswell, who has built a successful program in five seasons despite a shoestring budget, immediately was lost in the throng.

He finally broke free and addressed the crowd, which chanted his name.

“Bob-bee, Bob-bee.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Braswell said.

Players then passed the scissors, taking turns climbing a ladder for a victory snip at the net. Guard John Burrell, center Brian Heinle, forward Jeff Parris . . .

Braswell made the final cut.

“What a very, very special night this is for Cal State Northridge,” Braswell said. “This is the culmination of a labor of love over the last four or five years. But the best is yet to come.”

The Matadors are expected to be seeded somewhere between 13th or 15th in the West Regional, based on the history of Big Sky teams in the NCAA tournament. Only two Big Sky teams have been seeded as high as 13th since 1990.

The 78-74 victory over UCLA, a respectable showing in a 99-90 loss to USC and a schedule filled with several formidable opponents will help the Matadors’ cause.

“We’re a good team,” said Holmes, who scored 11 points, one of four Matadors in double figures.

“We’ve beaten some good teams and people better beware of us. We have some good players.”

Heinle, the Big Sky’s scoring leader and player of the year, had a game-high 21 points and was selected the tournament’s most valuable player.

Heinle, who has 18 double-doubles this season, jump-started the crowd with a three-pointer to open the scoring. The lead changed hands four times in the early minutes before Northridge took a permanent lead, 9-8.

Northridge built a 42-28 halftime lead and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.

In the final minutes, Heinle shot free throws to the chant of “MVP!”

“We’ve worked for this all year,” Heinle said. “We weren’t going to settle. I hate to say it because Eastern Washington is a good team. But we knew we were going to win.”

No one knows whether Braswell will return for a sixth season at Northridge. He signed a contract extension last summer and says he is happy at the commuter school in the San Fernando Valley, his alma mater.

But he is rumored to be pursued for other coaching jobs.

In a televised report Friday, Braswell was mentioned as a candidate for the vacancy at Nevada Las Vegas.

Braswell said he has had no contact with UNLV.

“It’s just part of this business,” Braswell said. “Right now, I am not thinking about anything but this team.”

Heinle, a senior, said he expects Braswell to return.

“He’s had offers the last couple of years and he hasn’t taken them,” Heinle said. “He believes in this school.”

*

BIG TEN: Alford Takes On His Alma Mater

Iowa and Coach Steve Alford will face Indiana in title game after Hawkeyes routed Penn State and Hoosiers upset Illinois. D6

THE NATION: It’s Round Three for ACC Crown

Duke beat Maryland to reach the ACC championship game, where it will play North Carolina for the third time this season. D6

PAC TEN: Stanford Sets Its Sights High

No. 1 Stanford won its third straight conference title by beating Arizona State, then turned its thoughts to a run at the Final Four. D7

BIG WEST: Santa Barbara Advances Again

UC Santa Barbara made it five women’s conference tournament titles in a row, defeating Long Beach State in Anaheim. D9