`IT WASN'T PRETTY,' BUT NORTHRIDGE CLAIMS FIRST BIG WEST VICTORY CSUN 57, IDAHO 56.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

MOSCOW, Idaho - Cal State Northridge rarely could implement its pressure defense. It also couldn't make a basket in the second half.

Yet the Matadors did something they haven't done all year - outrebounded their opponent. It wasn't a typical performance but it was effective. Idaho controlled the tempo; CSUN won the game.

Powered by another impressive night from point guard Markus Carr, CSUN pulled out a 57-56 win over Idaho on Saturday night at the Cowan Spectrum.

It ended a losing streak of six games and a winless drought that lasted a little more than a month.

``This is the closest thing to heaven right now,'' senior Jermar Welch said.

CSUN (2-7) won the program's first Big West Conference game, improving to 1-1 thanks to an impressive night from Carr. He had 14 points, seven assists, six rebounds four steals and one turnover.

His lone miscue, howver, came with 16 seconds left and CSUN leading by one point.

Freshman Ian Boylan grabbed a critical offensive rebound with 44 seconds left and Carr was up near the half-court line trying to run out the clock. With 16 seconds left and eight on the shot clock, Carr, not realizing where he was, stepped on the line, giving the ball back to the Vandals (2-8, 0-1).

``I thought they called five seconds,'' forward Lionel Benjamin said. ``I didn't even know what happened. But I knew we had to get a stop.''

Idaho's Moe Jenkins, who had 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots, drove for a shot and Carr came up to help Gene Myvett on defense, closing a lane to the basket.

Jenkins jumped for a shot but changed his mind in midair against the double-team and kicked it back out to Rodney Hillaire, who missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer.

Carr didn't seem fazed by his earlier mistake.

``I just thought it was time to play defense,'' Carr said. ``Another day of defense.''

It's been the one thing the Matadors consistently do well. One thing they haven't done well is rebound. After the suspension of two post players the last week, CSUN outrebounded the Vandals 43-39. Boylan led with eight.

``I'll take a win any way we can get it,'' CSUN coach Bobby Braswell said. ``We grew up (Saturday). Winning a game on the road is huge. We hung in, we didn't have many lapses. We talked all week about defense and to be able to get a stop at the end of the game to win it was great.''

CSUN shot just 33 percent in the game - making it tough to implement its full-court press - and a miserable 22 percent in the second half.

When the Matadors went 4 1/2 minutes without a score in the second half, the Vandals couldn't take advantage. They made just two free throws in that stretch.

Welch added a season-high 11 points off the bench. Benjamin also had 11, marking just the second game in which three players scored in double figures.

CSUN never was down by more than five points and never led by more than seven. The Matadors finally didn't give up a big run midway through the second half.

When Idaho built a five-point lead on an open baseline jumper by Matt Gerschefske early in the second half, Carr answered with a 3-pointer from the left wing.

Carr made just 5 of 16 shots but always seemed to knock one down at a key moment.

``We're making improvements,'' Carr said. ``We had a team meeting (Friday) to discus what we needed to improve on. It wasn't pretty but it was a victory.''