Matadors smother Anteaters

NORTHRIDGE — The Cal State Northridge men’s basketball team exceeded its defensive goals Saturday night, which was bad news for UC Irvine shooters trying to make field goals from anywhere but long range.

The Matadors’ smothering defense, which made the Anteaters work to move their offense inside the Northridge free-throw line, let alone the key, paved the way to a 74-55 Big West Conference home win in front of 1,308 at the Matadome.

“We haven’t faced anything like that all year,” UCI point guard Michael Hunter said of the extended Northridge pressure that Matadors Coach Bobby Braswell said met the standing goal of at least 33 deflections (of passes and/or shots) per game by halftime.

“Every game we have four goals,” said Braswell, whose squad improved to 7-10, 4-3 in conference and rebounded from an 81-79 home loss to Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday. “We want to hold the other team below 40% field-goal shooting, protect the paint, get between 30 and 35 deflections and win the rebounding war.”

Braswell had no beef in any of those departments. Rather, he said he celebrated with his team in the postgame locker room.

“It may have looked ugly to the fans,” Braswell said of a first half in which both teams shot a combined 32.6% from the field and had 24 turnovers between them (13 by UCI). “But it was pretty to me. Coming off a game where we played no defense, I told our guys that I didn’t care about offense tonight. I said all I care about is defending and guarding and we did a good job of that tonight.”

UCI finished with two points in the paint (to 24 for the hosts) and was 14 of 47 from the field (29.8%), taking 20 of its 47 shots from three-point range. The ’Eaters were outrebounded, 42-31, and Braswell said Northridge had 55 deflections for the game.

“That’s one of our all-time highs,” Braswell said of the deflections, which helped lead to 19 UCI turnovers, seven more than its average. “I think we had 62 one time since I’ve been here [13 seasons].”

UCI produced two field goals from its three starting frontcourt players and the five big men who played were a combined two for 15 from the field (13.3%).

Freshman center Eric Wise made seven of eight foul shots to produce nine points.

Senior guard Brett Lauer was three of five from threedom and four of six from the field to top the visitors with 17 points.

Hunter had 13 points, while freshman Derrick Strings came off the bench to score nine.

Senior forward Kevin Bland did not score before fouling out in 25 minutes. He had four field-goal attempts, seven rebounds and a team-high six turnovers.

“We knew coming into this game, it was going to be like that,” said Hunter, who had four turnovers and led the team with three assists and three steals. “We just didn’t expect it to be like that, I guess. We didn’t handle it as well as we’d have liked.”

UCI Coach Pat Douglass agreed.

“I thought they got into our guards a little bit and we turned the ball over too many times,” said Douglass, who commended his team for battling. “I don’t think the score is indicative of how hard-fought the game was. It kind of got away from us a little bit there at the end.”

UCI trailed, 29-26, at halftime and scored the first five points after the break to take the lead.

But the hosts answered with a 13-0 run and held UCI without a field goal for a stretch of nine minutes, 16 seconds.

Still, UCI battled back. But, after a three-point play by Lauer pulled the visitors within 50-49 with 6:52 left, Northridge went on a 20-2 spurt that lasted just more than four minutes. During the run, UCI did not make a field goal.

Big West Conference

Cal State Northridge 74, UC Irvine 55

UCI – Folker 2, Bland 0, Wise 9, Lauer 17, Hunter 13, Strings 9, Rembert 3, DeCasas 2.

3-pt. goals – Lauer 3, Hunter 2, Strings 1.

Fouled out – Bland, Folker.

CSUN – Daniels 8, Smith 0, Townsend 4, Jenkins 17, Haynes 12, Galick 19, Hill 7, Mels 7.

3-pt. goals – Jenkins 4, Haynes 2, Hill 1.

Halftime – CSUN, 29-26.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.