Northridge Delivers a Knockout

NORTHRIDGE â€”  In a single, startling six-minute span, Cal State Northridge went from winless and seemingly rudderless to a team with definite direction.

And moving at a furious pace.

The Matadors turned a one-point deficit into a 20-point lead and shocked Pepperdine, 81-66, Saturday night before 2,013 at Northridge.

Coach Bobby Braswell’s system of rapid-fire substitutions and balanced production, which worked only in spurts during losses to Arizona State and Oregon State, came together after a basket by Tommie Prince gave Pepperdine a 46-45 lead with 13:20 to play.

Five points by Jabari Simmons were followed by four from Mike O’Quinn, a basket by Brian Heinle and a dunk by Derrick Higgins after a blocked shot by Heinle.

Gerald Brown’s jump shot momentarily stopped the Northridge surge, pulling Pepperdine to within 58-48, but a free throw by Jeff Parris, a pull-up jumper by Greg Minor, a turnaround shot by Higgins, a three-point basket by Trenton Cross and a layup by Minor put Northridge ahead, 68-48, with 7:35 to play.

Six minutes, seven scorers and one overjoyed coach.

“When [Pepperdine] went ahead, our guys didn’t panic,� Braswell said. “We got down, then went right back at them.�

Five Matadors scored in double figures. Higgins, a senior who scored only 10 points in the first two games, led with 17 and Simmons added 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

O’Quinn, a senior transfer from Loyola Marymount, scored 14, Minor had 13 and Cross had 12. Northridge shot 48.5% from the field.

“We are a very deep team,� O’Quinn said. “When it’s working, a lot of guys are contributing.�

Brown scored 19 to lead Pepperdine, and Prince and Jelani Gardner each had 14.

The Waves (3-1) beat three opponents--including Wisconsin--by shooting 52.6% from the field and making few mistakes. Harassed by Northridge’s pressure defense, the Waves shot 38.9% and committed 17 turnovers.

“Northridge just beat us,� Pepperdine Coach Lorenzo Romar said. “We played on the road against a quick team, and we did not respond.

“When they went on that run, I thought we lost our composure a little bit.�

In recent years, Northridge opponents rarely seemed like they were playing an away game because crowds were small. But with the stands full and fans standing two-deep along railings above the bleachers on both sides of the gym, the Matadors were fired up in their home opener.

The attendance equaled the sixth-largest ever in the Northridge gym, which seats 1,850.

“We came out and saw the crowd and that got us real pumped,� Minor said.

The Matadors led all but the first 1:30 of the first half. Only once did Pepperdine pull to within two.

Brown made two layups and a three-point shot in a minute to make the score 32-30, but Northridge scored the final five points of the half.

“That was key,� Braswell said. “Our guys fought back to lead by seven at halftime. They made their run and we kept our composure.�

Romar went from a man-to-man defense to a zone late in the half to stem the barrage of Northridge shots close to the basket.

However, Minor, the Matadors’ leading scorer coming in, hit a three-point shot over the zone with one minute left in the half and added two free throws in the final seconds.