CSUN BULLISH AT HOME : CSUN 99, SAC. STATE 64.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

It isn't Cameron Indoor Stadium in North Carolina - or even Dahlberg Arena in Montana.

But the dirty little gymnasium that opponents snicker at is home to the Cal State Northridge basketball team.

``Home cooking,'' senior Tom Samson said. ``That explains tonight.''

Back home and finally cooking, the Matadors beat Sacramento State 99-64 on Wednesday in the former American West Conference teams' first meeting as members of the Big Sky Conference.

A crowd of 620 - including the 40 or so members of the Chaminade High School band - saw Northridge record its third-largest victory margin over a Division I team in seven seasons at this level and also halt a two-game losing streak.

Compared to the crowds of 5,733 and 4,484 the Matadors (7-8, 3-2) played before in Montana last week, the showings at Northridge are meager.

But the Matadors respond. They are 6-2 at home this season and have won five in a row in the Northridge gym - capacity 3,000 if you don't tell the fire marshal.

``Compared to the fan base of 20 last year,'' Samson said, facetiously referring to the average attendance of 403 through eight home dates last season. The average is 566 this season. ``For us that's a marked improvement.''

Marked improvement was the key to Wednesday night's game, in which the Matadors returned from a demoralizing 0-2 road trip to do what they had to - beat an inferior team in a conference game.

Keith Higgins, who blamed himself for Saturday's 76-62 loss at Montana, led the team with 14 points in 18 minutes. His brother, Derrick, only slightly better Saturday, had eight points and six steals in just 15 minutes. Samson finished with a game-high nine rebounds.

Matt Andrews, who started in place of Kevin Taylor, scored 10 points. Taylor, whose asthma has been bothering him, played four minutes.

``Tonight's game was the first step in getting back on track to the previous winning streak we had,'' said junior point guard Trenton Cross.

And another step in erasing the past, when Northridge most often was on the bad end of such laughers.

``I've been in situations like Sac State must be feeling right now,'' Cross said. ``It's a terrible feeling. Right now I feel good. I guess what comes around goes around, because they beat us pretty good the last time we played them up there.''

The Hornets, who fell to 2-10 overall and 1-2 in the Big Sky this season, were members of the now-defunct AWC with Northridge the past two seasons. They beat the Matadors 83-66 last February.

Northridge led by 41 with 8:14 to play. It was shortly thereafter that coach Bobby Braswell was compelled to rest anyone who will see significant playing time in tonight's game against Weber State.

Junior Sha-Ron Elzy, who did not even travel to Montana, finished with 12 points. Brady Mertes, who has struggled as much as anybody on the team of late, had eight points in the mop-up minutes.

As much as it is a shot at beating one of the established Big Sky teams - something Northridge has not done yet - tonight's game is a chance to establish a home-court advantage.

``More than anything, we've got win our home games,'' Braswell said, repeating a tenet he stressed to his team before the game. ``If we have a shot at winning the conference or going to the conference tournament, we have to win our home games.''

BIG WINS

Margins of victory of more than 30 points for the Cal State Northridge basketball team against Division I opponents:

Feb. 18, 1995: 38, 104-66 vs. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Feb. 19, 1994: 36, 90-54 vs. Sacramento State.

Jan. 15, 1997: 35, 99-64 vs. Sacramento State.

Jan. 28, 1991: 32, 123-91 vs. U.S. International.

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Box

Box: BIG WINS (see text)