CSUN OUT TO AVENGE LOSS MATADORS MUST BEAT PACIFIC TO KEEP PACE IN THE BIG WEST.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer Pacific and Cal State Northridge meet again on another big stage. While the circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or are different than last season's down-to-the wire thriller thrill·er n. One that thrills, especially a sensational or suspenseful book, story, play, or movie. thriller Noun in the Big West Tournament championship, tonight's game is nearly as important. Pacific and CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge are first and second, respectively, in the conference standings but Pacific has a two-game lead. A CSUN loss could all but secure Pacific as the Big West regular-season champion. ``It's a huge game for them but more important for us,'' said CSUN sophomore center Thomas Shewmake. ``It's important for us to be able to beat them and have an edge. We have to try to keep them from going undefeated.'' The Tigers, who have won their last 10 games, have an edge over everyone in the Big West. Pacific (14-2) hasn't lost a conference game since Jan. 15, 2004 at Utah State. Pacific is 9-0 in conference play and has won its last 22 consecutive regular season Big West games. Make that 24 conference games in a row if its two conference tournament victories are counted. Pacific is ranked 26th in the USA Today USA Today National U.S. daily general-interest newspaper, the first of its kind. Launched in 1982 by Allen Neuharth, head of the Gannett newspaper chain, it reached a circulation of one million within a year and surpassed two million in the 1990s. poll. CSUN (9-8) is 7-2 in the Big West and playing well. The Matadors lost the conference opener to Cal State Fullerton, then won six in a row before a disappointing loss at UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. . Last year, CSUN rallied before falling to Pacific 75-73 in the tournament final. Matadors guard Davin White was called for a foul away from the basket with five seconds left in a tie game. Miah Davis, who was a senior, made both free throws and White's desperation 3-pointer as time expired didn't fall. White's not losing sleep over the last meeting or Pacific's impressive streak. ``I don't pay attention to streaks,'' White said. ``We had a streak, too, and Santa Barbara wasn't worried about it. I know they have a lot of good scorers but we have scorers, too. I know this game will be won on defense.'' CSUN must play interior defense well against Pacific's frontcourt front·court n. Basketball 1. The half of the court having the basket at which the offensive team shoots. 2. The forwards and center on a team. Also called frontline. . Pacific has a trio of talented returning starters in 6-foot-9 forward Christian Maraker, 6-9 center Guillaume Yango and 6-1 point guard David Doubley. Maraker leads the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game and Yango adds 11.9 and 7.0 rebounds. Doubley averages 13.1 points. Pacific is third in the conference in scoring at 72.6 points per game and CSUN is second in defense, allowing just 59.7. The Matadors counter with an athletic team bolstered bol·ster n. A long narrow pillow or cushion. tr.v. bol·stered, bol·ster·ing, bol·sters 1. To support or prop up with or as if with a long narrow pillow or cushion. 2. by true freshmen True freshman is a term used in NCAA sports, indicating that an athlete is playing the sport in his first year of college, rather than redshirting for one or more years to protect future college eligibility. Calvin Chitwood (9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds) and Jonathan Heard (8.8 points). Senior Ian Boylan leads the team in scoring (14.0), assists (3.7) and steals (2.3). CSUN has won with its pressure defense and assortment assortment /as·sort·ment/ (ah-sort´ment) the random distribution of nonhomologous chromosomes to daughter cells in metaphase of the first meiotic division. as·sort·ment n. of zones and man defense. For much of the season, it led the country in steals (11.8 per game). ``We have to make sure to attack it in some way,'' Pacific coach Bob Thomason Bob Thomason is the current head men's basketball coach at the University of the Pacific. He has held that position since the beginning of the 1988-89 season. • • said. ``They make you want to become tentative. We can't be that. We have to stay aggressive. With all the things they do, it's about loose balls and toughness and rebounding. We have to do a good job at those three things.'' Jill Painter, (818) 713-3615 jill.painter(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: CSUN guard Davin White, left, thinks that with capable scorers on both teams, the Matadors will need defense to beat Pacific. Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News Box: CSUN vs. PACIFIC - Jill Painter |
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