Loss to Idaho State Leaves Northridge in Foul Mood

After leading for most of its Big Sky Conference game against Idaho State on Friday night, Cal State Northridge finally succumbed to foul trouble and lost, 91-84, at Pocatello, Idaho.

Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell spent much of the game complaining about the officials, who called his team for 36 fouls and the Bengals for 22. Idaho State made 39 of 56 free throws. Northridge made 13 of 23.

“We got people in foul trouble and we stopped playing defense,” Braswell said after the Matadors saw the Bengals shoot 76% in the second half, overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit.

Northridge held the lead until about 15 minutes to play, when the Matadors’ foul troubles piled up and the Bengals started running a press that forced several turnovers as they rallied to tie the score, 60-60, with 8:59 left.

The teams traded baskets until Idaho State, 9-6 overall and 5-2 in the Big Sky, started to pull away with 5:41 left, when Rod Stinson of the Matadors was called for a technical for reaching over the baseline on an inbounds pass. Ron Harwell made both free throws to give the Bengals a 74-71 lead. The margin grew to 83-75 with 2:51 to play.

Derrick Higgins, one of two Matadors to foul out, and Lucky Grundy scored 15 points apiece. Harwell (29 points) and Rob Preston (24), who played all 40 minutes, led the Bengals.

By losing, the Matadors (8-9, 4-3) failed in their third attempt this season to get over .500 for the first time in seven Division I seasons.

Idaho State had only nine players because five were kicked off the team for shoplifting.