COLLEGE BASKETBALL : CS Northridge Gives Bakersfield a Fight, 64-53

In a game that featured a lot of pushing, shoving, elbowing, an occasional punch and even two bench-clearing fights, Cal State Northridge lost to Cal State Bakersfield, 64-53, on Friday night.

Although most of the fighting in the game was typical basketball slap-’em-while-you’re-backing-up stuff, one CSUN player, James Hecht, ended up at the hospital with a concussion. Hecht ran into an elbow thrown by Roadrunner center Paul Phifer and fell to the floor.

“It’s nothing I didn’t expect from that outfit,” said CSUN Coach Pete Cassidy. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t have a couple of horses to neutralize that. One of their players threatened one of ours before the game even started.”

The Roadrunners went ahead, 12-11, with slightly more than 12 minutes left in the half when guard Leonard Brown hit two consecutive baskets.

Bakersfield then held the Matadors (8-10, 1-5) scoreless for nine minutes. The Roadrunners (13-6, 4-2) ran off 18 unanswered points.

With nine minutes left, Jimmy Daniels and Mario Williams mixed it up, rolling around on the floor with their hands around each other’s necks. Both benches cleared. Punches weren’t thrown during that skirmish, just a lot of weak rolling around and pushing.

Still, it provided an interesting moment in an otherwise boring, one-sided first half.

The Matadors scored, finally, when Hecht made a layup. That made it 26-13, but the Matadors were held scoreless for the rest of the half. They trailed, 31-13.

The second half provided more fighting. Matador James Carr and Roadrunner Jeff Hughes were ejected after trading punches midway through the half. Coaches, players, trainers and fans were all over the floor before the players were ejected.

--GORDON MONSON

Azusa Pacific 73, Cal Lutheran 64--Cal Lutheran had won two straight games by shooting around 60%. But Friday night, the Kingsmen lost their touch and their NAIA District III game at home to Azusa Pacific.

Cal Lutheran (5-16, 2-5) shot just 36% in the first half and 44% for the game.

Azusa Pacific (8-16, 3-4), which led by seven at the half, extended its lead to 63-47 with 5:28 left in the game before the Kingsmen made a last-ditch run.

--GARY KLEIN

Cal State Northridge (women) 69, Cal State L.A. 56--Sophomore forward Regan O’Hara scored 29 points and broke the school free-throw record, pacing the Lady Matadors to a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. victory.

O’Hara made 17 of 20 free-throw attempts to eclipse the previous mark of 12 set in 1979 by Sonya Hardy. She also had nine rebounds.

Northridge (14-4 overall, 4-2 in conference), ranked 19th in this week’s NCAA Division II poll, was 27 for 32 from the line.

--DAVE DESMOND

Southern California College (women) 98, Cal Lutheran 91--Junior forward Kim Peppi scored 17 points Friday night, becoming the first Cal Lutheran women’s player to score more than 1,000 points in a career. But the Regals (10-9, 3-7) lost the NAIA District III game at home.

--GARY KLEIN

Cal Baptist 81, The Master’s 71--Senior guard Pat Green scored 14 of his 25 points in the last five minutes to hand The Master’s College its 13th straight defeat in a NAIA District III match-up. The Master’s (5-18, 0-7) trailed by 17 at halftime, but tied Cal Baptist (14-9, 5-2) at 46 with nine minutes left.