For Northridge, Old Arena Would Fit in Just Fine

Ohio State, which on Monday beat Cal State Northridge, 89-81, is playing its final basketball season in 42-year-old St. John Arena, which seats 12,043 in wooden-back chairs.

The school’s new venue, the $94 million, 19,500-seat Schottenstein Center, will be the nation’s sixth-largest collegiate basketball facility.

Looking around St. John Arena while contemplating Northridge’s difficulty in finding funds for a multi-use arena, Matador Athletic Director Paul Bubb said, “It’s too bad we can’t just pick up the St. John Arena and drop it right onto North Campus.”

Stand-up guy: Like Laker Coach Del Harris, Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell rarely sits during games.

Uncharacteristically, Braswell pulled up a chair for the first 12 minutes against the Buckeyes. But when freshman Jon Sanderson hit a three-point basket to put Ohio State ahead, 31-24, and Northridge turned over the ball seconds later, Braswell popped up, took off his jacket and paced the sidelines the rest of the game.

Stat watch: Northridge freshman center Brian Heinle is shooting 53.5% despite making only four of 18 three-point shots. Heinle, the tallest Matador at 6 feet 9, has made 19 of 25 attempts (76%).

Pecking order: The Santa Monica men’s team, which is 9-2, is ranked No. 1 in Californiaby the state athletic bureau.

Moorpark (5-3), which defeated the Corsairs, 95-89, in overtime in a Western State Conference interdivision game Saturday, is not ranked among the top 25.

“I don’t think we caught them on an off-night at all,” said Remy McCarthy, Moorpark’s coach. “That’s as good as I’ve had a team play, ever. I think we’re a Top-25 team, but we still have to prove it.”

SOCCER

Not in the mood: Forgive Northridge men’s Coach Marwan Ass’ad if he’s not overflowing with holiday spirit.

Although a task force on Matador athletics has recommended that the university permanently restore soccer and three other men’s sports cut in June for budgetary and gender-equity concerns, Ass’ad’s one-year contract apparently will be allowed to expire at the end of this month.

Ass’ad said he does not anticipate signing another one-year pact before January. The coach makes his living mostly from club soccer and is mainly concerned that his family’s benefits will expire with the contract.

“I feel I should stay [as coach],” said Ass’ad, Northridge’s coach the past 15 seasons. “I don’t like to leave with losing records in three of the last four seasons.”

With an experienced team set to return, Northridge’s recruiting needs are fairly specific. Ass’ad said he has talked to several junior college forwards and defenders but cannot accept commitments until the task force’s recommendation is approved.

“I’m telling [the recruits] it looks good and if we have a program we need you,” Ass’ad said.

Checking out: Northridge women’s Coach Brian Wiesner said that three players--Amy Gill, Brandy Bucknum and Kelly MacGuann--will not return in 1998.

Gill, a junior midfielder-forward who started 16 games for the Matadors (2-16), is transferring to California for academic reasons. Bucknum, a junior defender, is leaving school and MacGuann, a freshman backup goalkeeper, is transferring to Long Beach State and plans to play for the 49ers’ first-year program in 1998.