LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — Cal State Northridge held off Long Beach State 78-76 in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at Walter Pyramid. The Matadors led 46-38 at halftime but were outscored 38-32 after intermission, requiring a final defensive stop to secure the victory. Shaquil Bender led all scorers with 27 points for Long Beach State, including five 3-pointers. Josiah Davis paced Cal State Northridge with 21 points and nine assists. Cal State Northridge improved to 18-10 overall. Long Beach State fell to 8-20. Attendance was 1,551.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a blistering start and a frantic, contested finish, Josiah Davis’s clutch free throws with four seconds remaining lifted Cal State Northridge to a 78-76 victory over Long Beach State in a Big West Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at the Walter Pyramid. The Matadors, who led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took an eight-point lead into the break, saw that advantage evaporate under a second-half barrage from Long Beach State’s Shaquil Bender. The 49ers guard scored 19 of his game-high 27 points after halftime, fueling a comeback that saw the home team tie the game twice and take a brief lead. With the score knotted at 76-76 in the final half-minute, Cal State Northridge worked for a final shot. Davis drove the lane but had his attempt blocked by Long Beach State’s Leopold Levillain. The loose ball went out of bounds to the Matadors, setting up an inbounds play with 4.4 seconds on the clock. Davis was fouled on the ensuing possession by Isaiah Lewis, sending him to the line for two shots. Davis, who finished with 21 points and nine assists, missed the first free throw. He calmly sank the second to put the Matadors ahead. Long Beach State called a timeout to advance the ball, but Bender’s contested turnaround jumper from the right baseline as time expired missed, securing the narrow road win for Cal State Northridge. The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute. Trailing 76-73, the Matadors’ Jordan Brinson connected on a crucial three-pointer from the left wing off an assist from Davis to tie the game with 1:16 left. On the ensuing possession, Long Beach State’s Dallas Washington was fouled and sent to the line for two shots with 59 seconds remaining. He made the first to give the 49ers a one-point lead but missed the second, keeping the margin at a single point. After a Cal State Northridge timeout, the Matadors ran a play for Davis, whose driving layup was again blocked, this time by Levillain with 31 seconds left. Long Beach State secured the rebound, but instead of holding for a final shot, Bender launched a deep three-pointer with nine seconds on the shot clock. The miss gave the Matadors possession with 28 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Davis’s decisive trip to the foul line. The game began as a stark contrast to its tense ending. Cal State Northridge opened with a 14-3 run, capitalizing on early Long Beach State turnovers and inefficient offense. The Matadors built their first-half lead behind efficient interior play, scoring 46 points in the paint for the game and outrebounding the 49ers 45-34. Grady Lewis provided a significant spark off the bench for Northridge, scoring 12 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting in just 10 minutes. Long Beach State stayed within striking distance largely due to perimeter shooting, making 12 of 26 three-point attempts compared to Cal State Northridge’s 3 of 10. Bender was the primary catalyst, hitting 5 of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc. Gavin Sykes added 13 points for the 49ers, while Rob Diaz contributed 11 points off the bench. Despite the statistical edge from deep, Long Beach State was hampered by 13 turnovers, which led to 16 points for the Matadors. Cal State Northridge also won the assist battle decisively, 17-3, with Davis orchestrating the offense and Joshua O’Garro adding 13 points. The victory improved Cal State Northridge to 18-10 overall and marked its fourth consecutive win, avenging an 87-80 home loss to Long Beach State just over a month ago. The 49ers fell to 8-20 with the defeat, their seventh in the last eight games. An announced crowd of 1,551 at the Walter Pyramid saw a game that featured 10 ties and 11 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than five points throughout the entire second half until the final free throw. Cal State Northridge continues its push toward the top of the Big West standings, while Long Beach State’s struggles in close games continued; the 49ers have now lost six games this season by five points or fewer.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging Cal State Northridge squad looks to continue its climb in the Big West standings when it visits struggling Long Beach State on Saturday at Walter Pyramid. The Matadors (16-10, 8-5 Big West) have won five of their last six games, including an 84-60 rout of Hawaii last Saturday. They sit in a tie for third place in the conference. The 49ers (8-18, 3-10), meanwhile, have lost six consecutive games and are tied for last. Northridge is powered by guard Larry Hughes, who is averaging 21 points per game during the team’s recent hot stretch. He scored 27 points in 28 minutes against Hawaii and poured in a season-high 32 in a 97-96 win at Cal Poly on Feb. 5. He will be the primary focus for a Long Beach State defense that has allowed an average of 78 points during its losing streak. The 49ers will counter with guard Gavin Sykes, their leading scorer in conference play. Sykes is coming off an 18-point, 4-rebound effort in a 71-54 loss at UC Davis last Saturday. He will need support from a roster that has struggled with consistency, particularly on offense where they have failed to reach 75 points in five of their last six outings. This is a rematch of a Jan. 17 meeting in Northridge, which Long Beach State won 87-80. In that game, the 49ers shot 52% from the field and withstood a 22-point effort from Hughes. The Matadors have since found a more reliable formula, winning with strong offensive outputs and improved defense. Their current streak includes four wins by 13 or more points. For Long Beach State, the Pyramid has offered little refuge, as the team has lost four of its last five home games. A Northridge victory would solidify its position for a first-round bye in the upcoming Big West tournament. A Long Beach State win would provide a crucial respite from its skid and a season sweep of its regional rival. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.