Northridge Pulls Off an Inside Job

The Cal State Northridge men’s basketball team may have gone zero for two in road games at Weber State and Utah State last weekend, but the Matadors are wiser for it.

Playing against the Division I teams from Utah taught them that they had to improve their inside game to be a quality team.

And they put that knowledge to good use in a 95-77 nonconference victory over San Francisco State on Friday night at Northridge.

Derrick Gathers, who entered the game shooting 38.3% from the field, scored a game-high 21 points on eight-of-16 shooting, and five other Matadors scored in double figures as Northridge avenged a 72-70 loss to San Francisco State last season.

“We did a better job of penetrating,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “We did a better job of getting the ball inside. In the previous games, we’d get inside but not make the correct pass. Tonight, we improved in that area.”

Junior Eugene Humphrey (10 points, seven assists) and freshman Bill Mazurie (13 points, four rebounds and three assists) were particularly adept at driving the lane, then dishing off to open teammates.

And when the inside was clogged, the Matadors (2-3) weren’t afraid to bomb from outside. Gathers hit five of eight three-point shots, and Humphrey and Mazurie were two for two.

“We gained a lot of experience up in Utah,” Mazurie said. “And it showed tonight. We were more relaxed out there. We were more of a team.”

Although Northridge won by 18 points, the Gators--named for the Golden Gate Bridge, not the reptile--trailed by only 54-48 with 14 minutes left.

The Matadors countered with a 16-6 run, however, and San Francisco State (2-3) never drew closer than nine points again.

Kris Brodowski scored 15 points, McDaniels had 12 and Jemarl Baker added 11.