CSUN VS. N. ARIZ. IS CASE OF LOSS 'N' FROWN.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

It usually doesn't matter where the teams are in the Big Sky Conference standings. When the Cal State Northridge men's basketball team plays Northern Arizona, expect a close game.

And based on recent history, you can figure on Northern Arizona winning.

CSUN has won just three of the last 11 games against the Lumberjacks since joining the Big Sky in the 1996-97 season. Six of those games were decided by four points or fewer and NAU won four of those. NAU has won all three overtime games in that span.

CSUN plays host to Northern Arizona tonight at 7:05 p.m., hoping to avoid the same result it suffered earlier this season. In that game, Adam Lopez's 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining gave the Lumberjacks a 76-75 victory.

There's just something about NAU that bewilders CSUN.

``It's not like we can't beat them,'' senior center Brian Heinle said. ``There's no question about that. To go up there and beat them, that's tough. We didn't play well there. We'll just try to get this one.''

CSUN (15-9, 8-3) doesn't have to win today's game against NAU (12-10, 6-5) at the Northridge gym. But if it doesn't, CSUN likely would need to win its remaining four regular-season games if it wants to be the host school for the Big Sky's postseason tournament.

Northridge is tied for first in the conference with Eastern Washington. NAU is fourth and needs a few more wins to ensure a spot in the six-team field for the conference tournament.

``It's a heck of a game,'' NAU coach Mike Adras said. ``I say that going in every time. You just know it's going to be something special. It always is. It's interesting - the games within the games. Yeah, we've had the better outcomes of the games, but I can't think of that many that weren't hard-fought victories or hard-fought defeats.''

Adras has been around to witness all of them in the Big Sky series. He's in his second year as NAU's coach but also was a Northern Arizona assistant for five years. He has seen some memorable games:

--In the first meeting last year, Markus Carr's jump shot with eight seconds left gave CSUN a 69-66 win.

--NAU's 85-81 overtime win in the Big Sky championship game last year sent the Lumberjacks to the NCAA Tournament. In that game, Carr missed a last-second floater in the lane at the end of regulation.

--NAU knocked off the Matadors 96-79 in overtime in 1998-89.

--Northern Arizona won both games in 1997-1998 by a combined four points.

``There may be a mental block (for Northridge),'' Adras said. ``Gosh, I hope so. I hope they feel they have a hard time beating us. If that gives my team an advantage, I'll take it.''

When CSUN joined the Big Sky, the year Bobby Braswell became coach, it finished 14-15. It lost both regular-season games against NAU but upset the Lumberjacks in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament. The next season, CSUN lost all three games between them.

CSUN vs. Northern Arizona

at CSUN gym

Today, 7:05 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo: Jeff Parris and CSUN have lost eight of 11 games to NAU since joining the Big Sky.

Greg Bryan/Associated Press