Northridge Holds Off St. Francis

Cal State Northridge survived a bombing Tuesday night at the Matadome.

That is, the Matadors earned an 88-79 nonconference victory over a St. Francis College team that lives by the three-point shot.

This time, St. Francis died by it.

Northridge (6-3) successfully guarded a precarious lead throughout a fast-paced second half, thanks to strong inside play by Brian Heinle, Hewitt Rolle and Andre Larry.

And dismal three-point shooting by St. Francis.

Heinle, the Matadors’ scoring leader this season, had a team-high 21 points, including three of four from three-point range and six free throws in as many attempts. Rolle had 12 points and led the Matadors with 10 rebounds.

Larry delighted the crowd of 936 with five dunks, including a two-hander in the first half for which he was assessed a technical foul for hanging on the rim.

“We love showing off to a crowd,” Larry said. “It’s nice to come home and play in front of a crowd--a crowd that’s not against us.”

St. Francis (5-4) attempted 29 three-point shots, making 10. The Terriers were four of 12 from three-point range in the second half, including six consecutive misses.

Angel Santana, who had a game-high 23 points while playing every minute, made five of 12 three-pointers, with most of his attempts from well beyond the perimeter.