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Northridge Disappointed Again

This time, Northern Arizona needed far fewer three-point baskets to beat Cal State Northridge.

Adam Lopez made a 24-footer with 8.4 seconds left--the last of eight three-point baskets by Northern Arizona--and Northridge’s Carl Holmes missed a short jump shot with two seconds left as the Lumberjacks held off the Matadors, 76-75, in a rematch of the teams that played in last season’s Big Sky Conference tournament final Thursday night at Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Northern Arizona made 16 three-point shots in an 85-81 overtime victory over the Matadors in last season’s Big Sky final. Lopez led the way with five.

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Thursday, Lopez had Northern Arizona’s only three-point basket of the second half--the game-decider. He fielded a loose ball with the clock ticking down and didn’t hold it long.

“This is huge to beat the best team in conference,” Lopez said. “We proved we were the better team tonight.”

Northridge (9-7, 2-1), favored to win the Big Sky, overcame a 49-39 halftime deficit and the lead changed hands five times in the second half.

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John Burrell led Northridge with 20 points, including three three-pointers. Center Brian Heinle had 19 points and became Northridge’s career scoring leader.

Holmes had nine points--six in the second half--but his soft shot from the base line fell short at the end.

“We’ve always had tough games against them,” Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said. “I told the guys after the game that, on the road, you have to make plays at the end. Lopez made a huge shot. We got a good look at the end. The game didn’t end up the way we wanted it to at the end.”

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Northern Arizona (8-6, 2-1) moved into a second-place tie with Northridge, a half-game behind idle Montana State (2-0), which plays Saturday against Montana.

The loss was the Matadors’ third in a row against the Lumberjacks. The teams’ last four games have been decided by a total of 18 points.

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