CSUN TO FACE AN OLD FRIEND.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer There won't be a shortage of story lines when Cal State Northridge faces UC Irvine today in the first round of the Big West Conference men's basketball tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities. . CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge will face former assistant coach Mike Johnson, now with the Anteaters; Matadors guard Ian Boylan will play wearing a mask for the first time to protect his broken nose, and Irvine coach Pat Douglass Pat Douglass, an American basketball coach, is currently the head coach for UC Irvine. He graduated from the University of the Pacific in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in biology. will try to get to the Big West tournament final, something he's never done despite much success in the regular season. And then there's the teams' history of close, physical games. CSUN, seeded seventh, and UC Irvine, seeded second, split their two-game series the past two years with no team winning by more than seven points. ``We would've been happy playing anybody but it's special playing these guys,'' CSUN forward Lionel Benjamin said. ``Coach Johnson's there. Both games have been tough games. It's going to be fun.'' CSUN (14-14) has won four of its past five games after starting the Big West 0-4. The Anteaters (19-8), who finished second in the Big West, have won eight of nine. ``Our team is pretty confident right now,'' Irvine forward Jordan Harris Jordan Harris is an American digital animator specializing in cgi effects whose credits include Spawn (1997), Titanic (1997), Godzilla (1998), Stuart Little (1999), Little Nicky (2000), Dungeons & Dragons (2000), said. ``We went on a nice stretch where we only lost to (Big West champion) 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. . Things are going pretty well. The Big West tournament has been a big stumbling block stum·bling block n. An obstacle or impediment. stumbling block Noun any obstacle that prevents something from taking place or progressing Noun 1. for us. There would be added pressure if we were No. 1 again but maybe there's a little less pressure.'' Pressure is exactly what the Matadors will try to apply with their extended defense that has frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: the Anteaters in the teams' two games this season. But UC Irvine counters with talented freshman Jeff Gloger, Harris and 7-foot center Adam Parada, who poses a match-up problem for CSUN. ``It's hard to shut him down because he's such a big guy,'' CSUN center Dan Read said. ``You just have to try to be physical with him.'' Boylan, who averages 15.1 points per game, broke his nose in CSUN's victory Saturday over Idaho. He said he's taking medication for the pain but wouldn't consider sitting out against UC Irvine. ``It's not like it's a personal thing but when we play them it's very intense,'' Boylan said. CAPTION(S): box Box: CSUN vs. UC IRVINE - Jill Painter |
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