CSUN NOTEBOOK: GETTING THE MESSAGE.

Byline: Chris Branam Staff Writer

Jeff Parris was on the bench last weekend. So was Carl Holmes.

Those are two players the Cal State Northridge men's basketball coach Bobby Braswell likes to start. But Braswell yanked both of them from the lineup in Saturday's 83-73 loss at Northern Arizona for disciplinary reasons.

Parris, a senior who started CSUN's first 20 games, missed a meeting during the previous week. So did Holmes, a junior who is having his best shooting season at Northridge.

``I'd like to get a lineup and stay with a lineup,'' Braswell said. ``Unfortunately we have some guys that aren't being responsible in areas . . . getting to meetings and things like that. So I'm forced to do things like this.''

CSUN (14-7, 6-4 in Big Sky) has slipped a bit in recent weeks. Entering tonight's crucial game at Montana, the Matadors have a ranking of 125 in the NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index, more than 40 spots lower than where Northridge ranked in late December.

Braswell benched Parris and Holmes, like he did a few weeks ago to starters Markus Carr and Andre Larry, to send a message.

``If we can get everybody focused, and everybody doing little things, on and off the court, we can get our chemistry where it needs to be,'' he said. ``Everybody has got to get on the same page.''

Parris, Northridge's third-leading scorer (11.6), came into the NAU game with less than two minutes gone. He replaced Lionel Benjamin, a freshman who got his first start of the year and had the worst game of his career.

Parris, who led the Big Sky in field-goal percentage entering the game, was 0-for-6 from the field, 2-for-4 from the free-throw line and he had four turnovers before fouling out.

Holmes, the 1997-98 Big Sky Freshman of the Year, didn't come in until the the 15:14 mark of the second half, when Northridge trailed 52-32. He had nine points.

--He's back: Forward Jermer Welch, who hadn't played since injuring his thumb in the season opener at USC, returned to action Saturday. Welch made one of two shots and didn't get a rebound in eight minutes.

CSUN vs. MONTANA

Time: 6:05 p.m., Adams Center; Missoula, Mont.

TV/Radio: KCSN-FM (88.5) and www.GoMatadors.com

CSUN (14-7, 6-4) update: The Matadors have lost three of their last four Big Sky road games and must win tonight to stay in contention for the conference title. They beat Montana at home 79-67 on Jan. 22. Northridge played one of its worst games of the season last Saturday in an 83-73 loss at NAU and shot under 40 percent for the second time this year against the Lumberjacks.

- Chris Branam

CAPTION(S):

box

Box: CSUN vs. Montana (see text)