CSUN LOSES 4TH IN A ROW BOYLAN PLAYS BETTER, BUT IDAHO PULLS AWAY IN OVERTIME IDAHO 73, CSUN 66.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Cal State Northridge fans somehow believed that if they continually pleaded with Ian Boylan to keep shooting Saturday, his shots would start falling.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when Boylan was on fire, so were the Matadors. And since he's been in a funk, so have the Matadors.

Boylan answered the plea and drained a huge 3-pointer from the left wing with two minutes left to pull CSUN within two points against Idaho. It seemed big at the time, and perhaps for Boylan, it was. But it didn't matter for CSUN. Idaho was clearly the better team.

Idaho shot 50 percent from the field and cruised in overtime to a 73-66 victory over the Matadors on in front of 1,159 at the Northridge Gym.

``The last game I said this is the worst feeling I've ever had, but this definitely tops that,'' Boylan said. ``We've got to find a way to get out of this. We've got to get tough. We can't lose anymore.''

CSUN (6-6, 0-2 Big West Conference) has lost four consecutive games and now must play three road games at Pacific, Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. It's bad now, but it could get worse.

That's something that's hard to fathom for the Matadors, the same team that played a great game in a losing effort at Oregon, beat San Diego on the road and pounded San Jose State. They'd won five consecutive games at one point but now are in the tank.

``We're officially in a rut,'' CSUN coach Bobby Braswell said. ``We've got to find a way to get out of it. We're a very fragile basketball team. We're not a shell of what we were two weeks ago.''

The Matadors - just two conference games into the season - are in a hole. Braswell said they're not listening well, either. He'll call a play or a defense in a timeout, and the Matadors won't run it.

He didn't seem himself either, as he wasn't yelling or stomping his feet as he normally does.

``We're not doing anything right,'' forward Justice Graham said. ``We're not playing defense, and we're not being aggressive enough.''

Idaho - usually a bottom-feeder in the Big West - won just six conference games, including three on the road, last season. The Vandals (5-6, 1-1) had a game-high 18 points from junior guard Dwayne Williams.

Down three points in the overtime period, CSUN's Chris Davis missed a two-footer and Williams drilled a 3-pointer with 2:45 left for a 67-61 lead. He forced the shot from a foot behind the arc because the shot clock had run down.

``We made big plays and big stops when we needed to,'' Idaho coach Leonard Perry said. ``When we absolutely had to had to get it, we did.''

CSUN had a couple of big shots too.

Guard John Clark nailed a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left in regulation for a 59-57 lead. Jack May added a basket on the other end and also was fouled by Chris Davis with 35 seconds left.

Luckily for the Matadors, May missed the foul shot. They set up a final shot for Boylan, who drove the lane, but his shot didn't fall. Clark got the rebound and missed a shot at the buzzer.

Boylan led CSUN with 12 points.

``We need to protect our home court,'' Boylan said. ``Right now, we're on our heels and the other team isn't on their heels.

``At Northridge, we pride ourselves on being aggressive, and we're not. We can't have that.''

The Vandals led for most of the game. But over the final minutes, CSUN finally looked like the fast-paced, hustling, defensive team it had been.

Boylan lost his starting position for the first time this season. He had averaged 18 points per game through 10 games but had just on point in Thursday's loss to Utah State.

It was the first time he's come off the bench this season.

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Photo:

Idaho's Rashaad Powell, center, is surrounded by CSUN defenders Armand Thomas, left, and Curtis Slaughter.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News