Loss Leaves Northridge Coach Irked

After the Cal State Northridge basketball team lost, 78-67, to Division II Grand Canyon in a nonconference game before 274 at Matador Gym Tuesday night, Coach Pete Cassidy wasn’t pleased.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Cassidy said. “It [ticks] me off.”

Cassidy, who punctuated his remarks by loudly slamming a lectern on a desk, was particularly upset about the Matadors’ 17 turnovers--two of which came during Grand Canyon’s decisive 15-4 run in the second half--and their eight-for-16 shooting from the free throw line.

“You can’t turn the ball over against a good team,” he said. “You battle and battle hard to stay in the game, then you fritter the ball away. It’s not . . . right. . . . If you can’t make shots from the free-throw line, you are going to get your [tail] kicked.”

The Matadors (4-10) have now lost to Grand Canyon at home two seasons in a row. Northridge also lost two of three home games against Division II teams.

Grand Canyon, though, is much better than the Colorado School of Mines, which beat Northridge a week ago. The Antelopes (12-1) are a top-20 Division II team.