Bradshaw’s 46 Ends USIU’s Losing Streak

Among the 277 fans who celebrated U.S. International’s 98-96 victory Thursday over Cal State Northridge at Golden Hall was one woman whose voice cut through the hollering like a knife:

“Oh, my God! We won!” she said.

After 18 consecutive losses and nine winless home games, yes, USIU won.

The Gulls (2-22) had to hang on to do so. Led by Kevin Bradshaw, who finished with 46 points and scored 12 of USIU’s last 15, the Gulls had their biggest lead of the game--eight points--with 4:28 left. But Northridge pulled to within 94-93 less than two minutes later.

Even Bradshaw, who made 18 of 22 free throws but missed three of his last four in crunch time, looked to be part of another USIU collapse. A little more than two weeks earlier, USIU lost by 32 at Northridge (123-91). And in late January, the Gulls blew late leads and suffered back-to-back losses on last-second shots at Golden Hall.

With 10 seconds left and USIU leading, 97-96, Bradshaw missed the first of two free throws. He made the second. Matador guard Andre Chevalier then missed an off-balance shot.

USIU’s winless streak that dated to Dec. 1 was over, but Gull Coach Gary Zarecky didn’t smile and offered few superlatives. He had a hard time enjoying it because the program is falling to school budget cuts after the season--and because 18 consecutive defeats take their toll. Also, he was told late in the second half that his daughter, Tara, who plays basketball at Valhalla High, was taken to the hospital with a possible broken leg in her game.

“Oh, man,” Zarecky said. “We’re going to take the win and savor the moment. But you get tired of getting kicked. You develop a mentality where you don’t think you can win anymore. This is a lame-duck program, and they fell into that groove and they’ve played like sacrificial lambs.”

Mike Sterner, the Gulls’ 6-foot-11 center who has been a disappointment throughout his career, had what Zarecky called “his best game in about three years.” The senior scored a season-high 14 points and had 12 rebounds and four blockeds before fouling out.

“I talked to him before the game and (Sterner) said it’s getting to him that he has only five games left,” Zarecky said.

Northridge (7-16), in its first season of Division I basketball, was without ailing Coach Pete Cassidy, 56, who had surgery Thursday in Woodland Hills for an intestinal disorder. The Matadors also were missing starter Keith Gibbs, who is recovering from a fainting spell that required hospitalization. CSUN’s second-leading scorer Todd Bowser played sparingly because of a shoulder injury.