Matadors Run Down Chapman

If nothing else, Saturday night’s game between Cal State Northridge and Chapman College promised to determine the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s worst team.

The loser would be the winner.

The Panthers were 1-6 going in, the Matadors 2-6. Neither had been barnstorming through the CCAA.

In fact, Chapman’s only league win came at home against Northridge on Jan. 18.

Saturday night, CSUN avenged the loss, beating Chapman, 69-45. The Panthers fell to 6-15 overall. The defeat left them alone in last place and, more or less, shut the door on their already dim hopes of making the league’s postseason tournament.

Chapman Coach Kevin Wilson was hardly in the mood to talk in a civilized manner to the press.

“The refereeing was atrocious,” Wilson shouted. “They’re a helluva team. They gave us a good ass-kicking. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

CSUN Coach Pete Cassidy, who has complained regularly about the officiating after CSUN losses this season, did not register those remarks.

“I don’t know what his gripe is,” he said. “The calls were fairly even.”

Unfortunately for the Panthers, the game wasn’t.

Chapman was scheduled to play Cal State Los Angeles on Friday night, but a mechanical problem with one of the baskets forced the game to be postponed.

Before Saturday’s game, Cassidy said he was concerned that the Panthers were well-rested. “I’m worried because their legs are fresh. We had a tough game last night. Against Dominguez Hills, Pat Bolden played 40 minutes. That worries me.”

But it was Chapman that looked tired.

Bolden scored 21 for Northridge on 8-for-10 shooting. “I felt the rhythm tonight,” the 6-4 forward said. “I was thinking about shooting more. I knew my shots were going in.”

CSUN jumped to a 10-7 lead after guard Paul Drecksel scored on a fast break.

Appropriately enough, both teams made plenty of mistakes. There were a lot of turnovers, airballs, blown defensive assignments and a few missed layups.

Midway through the first half, CSUN reserve Dan Mulder went up for a slam, but he jammed the ball hard off the back of the rim. So it went.

But then the Matadors’ Bolden scored nine in a five-minute stretch and CSUN went ahead, 19-11.