CSUN SURRENDERS FIFTH LOSS IN A ROW SO. ILLINOIS 74, CSUN 60.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Southern Illinois coach Bruce Weber had seen and heard of Cal State Northridge's penchant to allow the big run. He said he wasn't expecting one this time. Reserve guard Darren Brooks figured it was coming.

CSUN matched Southern Illinois, a team that has beaten Indiana, Iowa State and St. Louis, basket for basket for nearly 30 minutes. Neither team had more than a five-point lead in the first half.

Then came the run. Again.

The Salukis went on a 12-point run with about eight minutes left and held on to beat a pesky CSUN team 74-60 Sunday at the Northridge gym.

CSUN (1-6) lost its fifth consecutive game and is off to the worst start in coach Bobby Braswell's six seasons. The last time CSUN started 1-6 was in the 1993-94 season under Pete Cassidy. CSUN's lone win is over Dominican University, an NAIA Division II school.

``It's been the same story for us all year,'' Braswell said. ``We've been playing about 30 minutes of good basketball but we haven't put 40 minutes together yet. That's the thing we have to come to grips with and get better at.

``(Southern Illinois) was a very good basketball team. There's no doubt about that. They're probably the best team we've played all season. I believe our guys came in here to win this game so there's no moral victories at this point.''

Southern Illinois (8-1) is off to its best start in years and was buoyed by a contingent of about 130 Salukis alumni, who chanted a rousing rendition of ``SIU! SIU!'' after the game.

Brooks had 19 points, including two 3-pointers in a 17-5 run that gave Southern Illinois a 57-44 lead with eight minutes left.

``At halftime, Coach emphasized that they'd been struggling toward the end of the second half and once we got them down, we wanted to put the nail in the coffin,'' Brooks said.

Braswell knew the season would be trying with just one starter - senior point guard Markus Carr - back from last year's team that went to the NCAA Tournament and five freshmen.

But there's precious little time left for growing pains. CSUN begins Big West Conference play Thursday, with back-to-back road games at Utah State and Idaho.

The Matadors are young and it keeps showing. Nevada went on a 20-0 run last week and Wyoming posted a 15-5 run in the second half.

Carr scored 20 points - including 17 in the second half - but was the only CSUN player to score in double figures.

Kent Williams, who had 16 points, made back-to-back 3-pointers in the Salukis' run.

``It's a game of runs,'' Carr said. ``We don't want them to make a run but they made one at the perfect time. It's hard for us to dig back out.''

Carr swished a 3-pointer from beyond half court, about a 55-foot prayer, as time expired in the first half. It was his first basket of the game.

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CSUN's Jermar Welch, center, fights for the ball with Southern Illinois' Darren Brooks, left, during the Matadors' loss Sunday.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News