Matadors Picked for First in Last Year

All eyes will be on the Cal State Northridge men’s basketball team this season, picked to finish first in its final season in the Big Sky Conference in a poll of Big Sky coaches released Wednesday.

Northridge, coming off its most successful season ever and a narrow miss at earning a berth in the NCAA tournament, was a unanimous choice of coaches to win the title. Not surprisingly, the media also made the Matadors an overwhelming choice to finish first.

Northridge was 20-10 last season, posting upset victories at Fresno State and Oregon before losing to Northern Arizona, 85-81, in overtime in the conference title game.

All eight opposing coaches predicted Northridge, with a strong nucleus of returning players, will win the title before joining the Big West Conference next season. Eastern Washington is picked to finish second, Montana State third and Weber State fourth.

In four seasons, Northridge twice has advanced to the Big Sky title game.

“We kind of have mixed emotions because this is our last year in the Big Sky Conference,” Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said. “We have a very tough preseason schedule. I feel it’s important to play tough competition to get us ready for the conference.”

Northridge, which posted its most victories in 22 years last season, plays early season road games against UCLA and USC. The Matadors will compete in December tournaments at Marquette and Hawaii.

Northridge opens the season Nov. 19 at home against Howard.

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Northridge’s women’s basketball team, Big Sky champion in 1999, was picked to finish third by coaches and second by the media.

The Matadors, despite the midseason departure of point guard Edniesha Curry, fell to Montana, 66-53, in the Big Sky title game and finished 18-10 last season.

Without Curry, who transferred to Oregon, and several players lost to graduation, the Matadors face a rebuilding season under third-year Coach Frozena Jerro.

“We have eight new kids coming in and the season should be very eventful,” Jerro said. “Most kids are transfers and I am happy with how they are adjusting to the higher level.”

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Little doubt remains about where the Northridge football team will finish in the Big Sky this season. And things only figure to get tougher for the Matadors (1-4, 0-3), who dropped to sole possession of last place with a 31-14 loss at Weber State.

Northridge plays at home Saturday against defending champion Montana. The Grizzlies (4-1, 2-0), tied for first with Portland State, have won eight Big Sky titles, including five in the 1990s.

Montana and Northridge have split their last two meetings. Montana defeated Northridge, 48-27, last season at Missoula, Mont.

Northridge won, 21-7, in 1998 at Northridge, the Matadors’ only victory in four Big Sky meetings with the Grizzlies.

Montana, under first-year Coach Joe Glenn, began the season ranked No. 2 in Division I-AA and have dropped to No. 6.

Despite a pitiful performance against Weber State, televised live in Southern California, the mood at practice remains upbeat.

“They’ve had a good, spunky week of practice,” Coach Jeff Kearin said. “The guys have taken it well. Win, lose or draw, they just want to play.”

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Northridge’s men’s and women’s soccer teams will play a Friday the 13th double-header at North Campus Stadium.

Appropriate, perhaps, considering neither team is having much luck this season.

The men, 4-8 and 0-2 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, will play Cal State Fullerton (7-4-1, 1-0-1) at 7 p.m. The women, 4-5-5 and 0-1-2 in the Big Sky, play a Big Sky game against Portland State at 5.

Both teams could use a shot in the arm--or leg.

The men have lost five in a row, including conference games on the road over the weekend in which goalkeeper Christian Perez was sidelined because of a leg injury.

Perez is questionable for Friday. Chris Clemens, a redshirt freshman, made his first start last week in a 3-2 overtime loss at New Mexico. Clemens made five saves. Clemens made three saves Sunday in a 1-0 loss at Nevada Las Vegas.

Jorge Rodriguez and Brian Phillips scored their first goals for Northridge.

Northridge women lost to Loyola Marymount, 2-1, Tuesday and have scored only three goals in their last six games. The Matadors play four of their final five games at North Campus, where they are 3-1-1.