Northridge Passes on Rematch With UCLA

Cal State Northridge basketball Coach Pete Cassidy has turned down an offer of a rematch with UCLA next season.

The Bruins wanted to play the Matadors on Dec. 7 at Pauley Pavilion, but Northridge already has games set that week against the University of San Diego and UC Irvine. Northridge, 10-17 last season, played UCLA even until the last two minutes before dropping an 80-73 decision at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 22.

The Matadors are tentatively set to play in tournaments at Stanford, Southwest Missouri State and Fresno State.

Northridge also will play nonconference games against Cal State Long Beach, Arizona State, San Diego State, Colorado and Alabama Birmingham.

Only six of 22 games Northridge has penciled in are at home, where the Matadors were 7-3 last season.

Northridge opens Nov. 26 in the Stanford tournament. The Matadors’ home opener will be Dec. 8 or 9 against San Diego. Alabama Birmingham plays at Northridge on Feb. 22.

Baseball

Cal Lutheran, No. 1 in the NCAA Division III rankings, will meet Redlands in a key three-game Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series Friday and Saturday.

The Kingsmen (21-4) have won all 12 conference games. Second-place Redlands (15-9, 10-2 in the SCIAC), is ranked No. 22.

The opener on Friday will start at 3 p.m. at Cal Lutheran’s North Athletic Field. The series moves to Redlands on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.

Softball

Beth Calcante, left fielder for second-ranked Cal State Northridge, has been selected Western Athletic Conference player of the week after batting .615 to lead the Matadors in doubleheader sweeps of Utah and Southern Utah.

Calcante, a junior from Newbury Park, had three doubles, a triple and three home runs in the four games. She scored seven runs and had nine runs batted in.

Soccer

Edwin Astudillo of Thousand Oaks High said he will play for Cal Lutheran next season.

Astudillo was an All-Marmonte League selection as a midfielder and scored six goals this season.

Cycling

Thurlow Rogers of Van Nuys, who rides for the Miller Lite cycling team, placed first in the Carlsbad Criterium on Saturday.

Miller Lite’s John Wordin, of West Hills, finished ninth.