Win Elicits Enthusiasm for Northridge Basketball

James W. Cleary, the president of Cal State Northridge, was among celebrants in the locker room of the CSUN basketball team Thursday after the Matadors’ 50-49 win over Cal State Bakersfield.

Cleary, who regularly attends football games, was making a rare appearance at a basketball game.

Northridge came back in the final minute to win and the expression on Cleary’s face afterward might be an indication of renewed enthusiasm for the sport.

He had a few congratulatory words for the players and coaches afterward, then joined them in a cheer.

This might be a good time for Coach Pete Cassidy to bring up the feasibility of a basketball arena.

Net gains: The improved quality of boys’ high school volleyball in the Valley is beginning to show at the college level where a number of players from the Class of ’87 will play prominent roles this season.

Mark Root, an All-City Section player at Chatsworth High who is a starting middle blocker for Pepperdine, is one of four Chatsworth players playing at the four-year level. Sae Ho Suk is a setter at UC Davis, Jeff Horn is a back-row player for UC Santa Cruz and Steve Michalski is a back-row player and outside hitter for the UCLA junior varsity.

Mike Lowe, a middle blocker at Harvard High last season, is playing at Stanford and a former high school teammate, Matt Dalleck, is playing for UC Berkeley.

Terry Schrumpf, the 1987 City 3-A player of the year for defending champion Granada Hills, is playing at Pierce.

Sizzling Sterbens: Moorpark’s Kristie Sterbens, a freshman guard out of Simi Valley High, scored a season-high 26 points against Santa Barbara.

Said Moorpark Coach Gary Abraham: “She’s a steady player, smart and a real good shooter.”

Moorpark plays host to Allan Hancock at 5 tonight.