CSUN IS TOUGH - FOR A HALF\But Oral Roberts cruises after break\Oral Roberts 77, CSUN 59.

Byline: Kevin Acee Special to the Daily News

It wasn't a 35-point loss like last time. It wasn't over by halftime like last time.

But what kind of consolation is that for a team with four games remaining.

Some.

With its worst loss of the season still very much on its mind, the Cal State Northridge men's basketball team came out running against Oral Roberts on Saturday night. But a two-point halftime deficit only meant that Northridge could collapse again in the second half as the Golden Eagles went on to a 77-59 nonconference victory in front of 491 at Northridge's gym.

Oral Roberts (11-9) beat Northridge 88-53 Jan. 15 in Tulsa, Okla. It was the biggest margin of defeat for the 5-17 Matadors, who have suffered some horrendous losses this season.

"We really played poorly out there (in Oklahoma)," said junior center Tom Samson, whose 15-point Saturday was his fourth straight game in double figures.

"There was a sense of we had to come back and redeem ourselves. I think we did that . . . in the first half."

The Matadors shot 52 percent in the first 20 minutes Saturday. Ruben Oronoz scored 15 of his team-high 20 points before halftime. And Northridge matched Oral Roberts turnover for turnover and steal for steal.

Northridge's big problem in the first half was defending outside. The bigger, quicker, stronger Golden Eagles were repeatedly able to set up the open outside shot and made 44 percent of their 3-pointers and 43 percent of their overall field goals.

"We couldn't match up inside, and that opened up the outside for them," said Matadors coach Pete Cassidy, the subject of increasing questions and rumors regarding the program's future. Cassidy is in the final year of his contract.

The second-half collapse was subtle at first but sudden when it finally happened.

Northridge was within three points at 45-42 with 16:13 remaining. Three minutes later the deficit was 13 (55-42). It reached its peak at 77-56 with 1:20 to play.

Defense killed the Matadors, as Oral Roberts shot 60 percent from the field in the second half. But, following what seems to be their script, the Matadors hurried shots as Oral Roberts pulled away; they shot just 30 percent after halftime.

"We played good for about 25 minutes," sophomore point guard Trenton Cross said. "Then they turned it up another notch, and we just didn't respond."

WOMEN

Sacramento State 69, CS Northridge 58: Michael Abraham was having a good week until Saturday night.

"This is as down as I've been after a loss since I've been here," the first-year coach said after his team shot 30 percent from the floor and fell to 1-2 in the American West Conference. "I really thought we were going to get this game."

The Matadors (5-17 overall) fell behind 9-2 to start the game before coming back to 9-8. But they were never closer than seven points in the second half.

"We missed way too many easy shots," Abraham said.

Sacramento (8-16, 2-2) was led by Sarah Stapp's 24 points. Point guard Julie Wastell, a Newbury Park High grad, had seven points for the Hornets, who shot 33 percent from the floor.

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PHOTO

Photo Northridge's Tom Samson, right, stretches for the ball againstg Oral Roberts' Rocky Walls in the Matadors' nonconference defeat. Evan Yee / Daily News