The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 110

D6 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2001 LOS ANGELES TIMES College Football Northridge Football Eliminated GAME: Lakers Barely Win It AP TOP 25 Matadors: In a long-expected move, university president scraps the program after 40 years because of very serious budget concerns. No. fcm(lit) Roc, Point fn. Nwl I. Miami (52) 9 0 1,777 1 No.

12 Washingon, Sat Nebraska (20) 11 0 1,746 2 At No. 14 Colorado, Sat 3. Florida 9 1 1.616 4 No. 7 Tennessee, Dm. 1 4.

Oklahoma 10-1 1,613 3 Oklahoma State. Sal. 5. lews 91 1,519 5 Al Texas fri, 6. Oregon 9 1 1,404 7 Oregon Slate, Dec.

1 7. Tennessee 8-1 1,372 6 Vandeibilt, Sat B. Maryland 10-1 1,197 10 Bowl game, Ilia 9. Bngliam Young 11-0 1.1B8 8 Al Hawaii, Dec, 1 10. Illinun 9-1 1,130 12 Northwestern, Thu, II.

Michigan 8 2 1,103 11 Ohio Slale, Sat 12. Washington 8-2 987 16 At No, 1 Miami, Sat 13. Slanloid 7-2 958 13 Nolle Dame, Sat. 14. Colorado 8 2 867 15 No, 2 Nebraska, Sat.

15. Washington Slale 9-2 788 9 Bowl game, tba 16. Virginia Tech 8-2 657 18 No. 1 Miami, Dec. 1 17.

Louisville 10-1 609 19 Al Texas Christian, Sat 18. South Carolina 8 3 575 22 Bowl game, tba 19. Georgia 6 3 434 23 Al No. 21 Ga. Tech, Sat, 20.

Marshall 9 1 354 24 Youngstown State, Sat 21. Georgia Tech 7-3 284 No. 19 Georgia, Sat. 22. Syracuse 8-3 272 14 No.

25 Boston Sat, 23. Fresno Slale 9 2 207 San Jose Slate, Thu, 24. Arkansas 7-3 189 At Louisiana State, Thu. 25. Boston College 7-3 148 Al No.

22 Syracuse, Sat By ERIC STEPHENS TIMES STAFF WRITER Cal State Northridge's checkered 40-year history of football is just that history. In a move long expected but only delivered Tuesday, Northridge President Jo-lene Koester accepted Athletic Director Dick Dull's recommendation and eliminated the program in a move to address looming budget concerns. Northridge closed its season with a 3-7 record and a 50-43 loss to Portland Stale in its final game Saturday. Koester delivered the news in a meeting with players and coaches at the team's athletic facility outside North Campus Stadium. "It's a pretty dark day for the athletic department," Matador Coach Jeff Kearin said.

"It's a complete dismissal of everything we've done." Koester said she concluded that the $1.3 million annual cost of football was too much for a department expected to be $725,000 in the red by the end of this fiscal year and $1 million by 2004-2005. She added the university is expected to return $1.5 million to the state of California per a mandate from Gov. Gray Davis. Northridge will honor the scholarships for players who remain at the university through the duration of their NCAA eligibility, she said. "Decisions are rarely made at one fixed point in time," she said.

"The theme of this decision is one of resources. We, as an intercollegiate athletic program, are looking at a major deficit next year. That was clear from Dull's report and, frankly, it was clear from history. "We are looking at major budget cuts from the state this year. We anticipate that we will be in a very reduced budget stance next year.

The decision is meant to address a continuing problem with the athletic budget being out of balance." Dull submitted a report to Koester on Oct. 1 outlining a three-year plan to fulfill the president's request to reduce the deficit. Two college sports experts, former NCAA president Joseph Crowley and Cincinnati Athletic Director Bob Goin, agreed with Dull. The the campus faculty senate and an advisory board also supported his recommendation. Kearin submitted his own plan to Koester last week, which included boosting the number of scholarships from 45 to 60 in order for the Matadors to schedule Division I-A opponents on the road and bring in revenue for the ailing athletic department.

"I know Jeff and I will disagree on this but the financial viability of the plan was not strong enough for me to accept the risks attached to it," Koester said, "because the plan would have meant that I would have had to find another $600,000 to put into intercollegiate athletics for next year in addition to the projected deficit that we have. Given the overall state budget situation, I couldn't commit to doing that." Kearin, who has two years remaining on a four-year contract that pays him $96,000 per year, said the department's financial problems aren't the football program's fault. "I don't think in my heart of hearts that the solution of eliminating football is going to answer any of the issues present today," he said. "My model is as full of holes as any of them but my model produces revenue." Community activist Duke Russell, who has championed athletic programs at several colleges, said supporters of the football program weren't given enough time to formulate more plans for survival. "It's not fair," Russell said.

"Four years ago, it was four sports. They don't have any fund-raiser. That's why they don't have any money." The players weren't surprised. "I was kind of expecting it, especially with the way things were going last week," sophomore defensive back Bryson Atkins said. "Once she said she was dropping the program, I was thinking about the season and everything that we went through.

I've got a lot to think about now." Northridge competed its last season as a Division I-AA independent after six years in the Big Sky Conference. The athletic program joined the Big West Conference last year, leaving the football team without a conference affiliation. In existence since 1962, the program's lowlights often clouded their few successes, particularly in recent years. They won as many as eight games only twice, in 1976 and 1986 while competing in Division II. They couldn't win consistently despite having Marcus Brady, one of I-AA's top quarterbacks, the last four years.

The program was known more for its missteps. In 1999, Northridge was put on probation for recruiting violations and it cost former coach Ron Ponciano his job. In 1996, then-coach Dave Baldwin lied about a Continued from Dl "I guess it's time for Hack-a-Hunter," Hunter said in a valiant attempt at dark humor. "I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm just missing them.

All I could do wad laugh." He spent the final 48 seconds on the bench, and his replacement, Brian Shaw, was four for four from the line to finish the game but Lamar Odom-less Clippers. Kobe Bryant scored 25 points and had 12 assists, matching his career high. Samaki Walker scored 13 points, eight in the third quarter. Elton Brand had 22 points and 19 rebounds for the Clippers. "That team, hell, they're great," Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry said.

"They never gave us an opportunity to make any kind of run, and get into our running game. We wanted to make Samaki make some shots and do some things, and he did that. Shaq and Kobe got 47. One of those guys is capable of getting that." Afterward, Laker forward Rick Fox was unwilling to take the victory and move on, so disappointed was he in an offense that has yet to come together. The Lakers were outrebounded, 57-39, and shot only 44.4, but also were saved when the Clippers made only one of 15 three-point attempts.

The Sacramento Kings made one of 19 on Sunday. "We're playing terrible," Fox said. "That's a real pessimistic doomsayer. I just know where we've been in this offense. Right now we've got to find our way through this new team.

More than anything, we don't give it -a chance." He blamed the lack of rebounding on the offense, which is supposed to provide good shots, but also defensive balance and offensive rebounding position. "It's all a respect level with us," he said. "If we feel challenged, we play the game we should play." A crowd of 20,316, second largest in franchise history, came to Staples Center on Tuesday night. The loudest cheers were for the Clippers. The last ones were for the Lakers.

The Clippers very quick ancf very game but unable to contain the Lakers' best two players have lost 17 of 18 to the Lakers. "An interesting finale to a game I thought we had pretty good control of," Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. Along the way, O'Neal enlivened the place. Down the middle of the floor came O'Neal, early in the third quarter, dribbling to his ear, having left behind Michael Olowokandi, and Brand, and one by one the rest of the Clippers fell away. In six dribbles he had covered the distance from beneath one basket to the top of the opposite free-throw line, his eyes wide, his expression as perfectly Magic Johnson as he could muster.

He lifted his dribble, took his two steps through the lane and dunked, as Eric Piatkowski, the final Clipper, scampered away. O'Neal shimmied his shoulders; and Lakers, leading, 61-48, laughed and pounded their hands together. "It feels pretty good," he said. "I'm allowed to do that." So began a difficult week for the Clippers, who play the Lakers, the New Jersey Nets on Thanksgiving night, at Utah, where they have never won, and then against Hous-. ton, one of the teams they figure to battle for one of the last couple of Western Conference playoff spots, i They had won three of four UCLA REPORT Toledo Hopes Rest Provides an Elixir The Bruins haven't had much to be thankful for lately.

Four consecutive losses, including a 27-0 collapse against USC, have a way of sapping the spirit of being grateful but Coach Bob Toledo gave the team something to enjoy Tuesday: a week without practice. The extent of the players' workweek turned out to be team meetings and light conditioning Monday and Tuesday before Toledo let them go. "He wants everybody to just get away for a few days and get re-energized for when they come back," spokesman Marc Dellins said. UCLA's next game is against Arizona State on Dec. 1 at the Rose Bowl.

A bowl game is also a virtual certainty for the Bruins (6-4, 3-4 in Pacific 10 Conference play). In the meantime, UCLA has not decided whether to appeal to the NCAA to restore the eligibility of DeShaun Foster. Sports law authority Robert C. Berry, who was retained by Foster, has contacted UCLA Associate Athletic Director Betsy Stephenson regarding a possible appeal. "She's listening, there's no question about that," Berry said.

"She's trying to assess the situation just as much as I am. She's not turning a deaf ear to anything." The NCAA declared Foster ineligible for driving a 2002 Ford Expedition leased by actor-director Eric Laneuville. If an appeal is filed by UCLA, an NCAA subcommittee on athlete reinstatement would take two days to review the appeal before informing UCLA of its decision. Mike Bresnahan AROUND THE NATION Sun Bowl Could Be It for Washington State From Associated Press No. 15 Washington State accepted an invitation to play in the Sun Bowl at El Paso on Dec.

31, contingent on the Cougars not being selected for a bowl championship series game. A 26-14 loss to Washington on Saturday dropped the Cougars (9-2, 6-2 in the Pacific 10) from No. 8 to No. 14 in the BCS standings. "Our players deserve to play in a bowl game of the Sun Bowl's status and prestige," Coach Mike Price said.

"We are grateful the Sun Bowl has made this offer and will still allow us to be involved in possible BCS plans." GIN A FERAZZI hot Angeles Times Clipper guard Earl Boykins goes for the steal against Brian Shaw in the final minute of the game but gets called for a foul. LAKER-CLIPPER REPORT Shaq's Shorts and Shots Draw League Scrutiny The NBA is measuring Sha- Tuesday, Maggette bellied up quille O'Neal's free throws and against Bryant, shorts, for form and accuracy. Three strikes and you're out? O'Neal's tendency to step into Not if you're Maggette, who the lane early during his free seems to relish such assign-throws has drawn complaints ments. Certainly, he has risen to from other teams, notably the the challenge of replacing small Phoenix Suns and Dallas Maver- forward Lamar Odom, who icks. Maverick owner Mark Cu- served the eighth game of his ban piled on, comparing the ongoing drug suspension Tues-O'Neal free throw to that of a day.

10-year-old. Sweat poured from Mag-Referees were notified by gette's face as he left the Staples NBA Senior Vice President Stu Center floor Tuesday. And that Jackson to watch for the viola- was after the pregame warmup. tion, and Laker coaches have in- "I think Corey is a very good formed O'Neal. player," Coach Alvin Gentry O'Neal usually speaks highly said, merely warming up in his of Cuban, because the owner praise for Maggette.

"I think treats his players well, speaks he's a good defender. He's just a his mind and refuses to fall in real hard-nosed player." line with old-school ownership. Asked about having Maggette Asked why he thought Cuban guard Carter, Sprewell and Bry- would challenge him, O'Neal ant, Gentry said, "I think Corey smiled and said, "Because he likes that kind of challenge. Be- likes me, and he can't have me. fore we've even talked about our He's just trying to pump their matchups, he's the one who has game up." asked to guard those guys.

He Phoenix coaches were heard actually said, 'Let me guard complaining about O'Neal's free- Vince throw form, the latest of which has him stumbling into the lane It appears backup guard after pushing his shot toward Keyon Dooling, who sprained the rim. Occasionally, his foot his left ankle last week, will be touches beyond the line before out for about six weeks, the ball hits the rim. Elliott Teaford "It's nit-picking," Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. LAKERS TONIGHT Often, the Lakers try to avoid At Denver the subject of O'Neal's free 6 PST, Channel 9 throws, because the added pub- site: Pepsi Center lie scrutiny often results com- Radio: KLAC (570) pounds O'Neal's discomfort at Records: Lakers 9-1, Nuggets the line. Now that the referees 6-5.

are involved, Jackson said, Record vs. Nuggets (2000- O'Neal could become more both- oi): 2-2. ered, and then more inaccurate. Update: The Lakers won't Through his first nine games, he have a chance to catch up with converted 58.3 of his free former teammate J.R. Rider, throws, half-a-point higher than was waived by the Nuggets his career average.

on Tuesday. Nick Van Exel av- "It could," Jackson said. "But, erages 27.0 points. I don't think it will." O'Neal also was among those fined by the NBA for wearing lakers 98, cuppers 93 his shorts below the knee, He lakers and Kobe Bryant were docked MJ" nnn rn- Fo 28 4-8 0-4 3 1 10 $5,000, as were Clippers Eric Wallar v1 1 5 13 Piatkowskl, Quentin Richard- 35 lfr17 s- 4 a Brym 42 7 14 8 10 0-4 12 2 25 son and Jeff Mclnnis, Orlando Hum 35 i-b 04 0-2 302 Tracy McGrady and Denver's 2-6 3 2 6 men van EiXei. Richmond 9 2-6 04 0-1 0 0 4 Thinking back on a span in enspm i which he was fined by Jackson, zij jj warned to watch his free throws i 20-33 im ai and fined for his clothing, 1 Three-poiM goals: M3 (Bryant 3-3.

to 2-4, Hony 1-2, Neal grinned and Said, I George 0-2, Huntar 0-2). Team Rebounds: 16. Blocked eiipc.q thin iq Tmpssl with Shan sma: 10 0NM 1 ois. guess tros is Lmesij witn anaq Me()Klmk0, hmms. 14 mM 4 Blyml 4 Wsllffl 2 Week.

Medvedenko 2, Foi, George. Steals: 8 (Bryant 3, George 2, Hunter 2, Horry). Technical Fouls: O'Neal, 7:00 Brit. Derek Fisher and Mark ffff Madsen will come off the in- Maggette 16 2-8 04 0-5 024 jured list Friday at the earliest, rr- 8 22 i Otowokandt 22 2-7 0-2 1-5 0 5 4 Jackson said. Joe Crispin and 32 $-18 1-3 55 13 Jelani McCoy are the likely can- 23 111 1 Richardson 36 6-13 1-2 3-5 2 5 13 didates for injury.

Robert roc 23 7 9 2 2 2 5 1 3 is Horry said his tender right ham- 3 2 string is better when he plays, "moo? so it would not benefit him to in to enpnd a wppk fir SO rpstinir it Shooting: held goals. 394: tree throws, 73.7 Spend weeK Or SO resting ll. Ttm-fm goals: MS (Mclnnrs 1-5, Boykins 0-1, Tim BrOWn Miles O-l. Maggette 0-2. Piatkowskl 0-3, Richardson 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 11. Blocked Shots: 5 (Olowokandi 2, Brand 2, Miles). Turnovers: 18 (Brand 7, Boykins 2, Miles Friday, Corey Maggette was 2. ichmn 2, Rooks 2, okmokandi. Mdnms, Mag- gette).

Steals: 7 (Miles 3. Piatkowskl, Olowokandi, Brand, asked to guard Vince Carter of jKlmal Mlln, the Toronto Raptors. 50 3 Sunday, it was his job to JJ smother Latrell Sprewell of the --u. player who was shot. Kearin, who took the job in 1999, lobbied the Los Angeles City Council and the Cal State University board of trustees to help keep the program.

On Tuesday, he looked worn out. "I think the hardest thing is the naysayers are go New York KniCkS. Gary Benson. games, and five of seven, since their 0-3 start, and since the Odom suspension ing to say they were right," Kearin said. "That's the hardest part for me." DeFrantz Cancels Meeting, Angers Group Quarterback Ken Dorsey of top-ranked Miami accused Washington of taking cheap shots against him in Miami's 34-29 loss to the Huskies last season and said he expects it to happen again Saturday when the teams play at the Orange Bowl.

"When you hand the ball off and they hit you, that's a late hit. And they don't call those things up there," Dorsey said. "I don't know what they're going to try to do this year, but that's the way I remember them and that's the mentality I'm going to go into this game with." Dorsey said Washington (8-2) doesn't respect the Hurricanes (9-0) and that the Huskies expect to win because of last year's result and because Washington ended Miami's NCAA-record, 58-game home winning streak in 1994. Dorsey struggled against the Huskies. It was his first career start on the road, and he wasn't ready for the hostile environment of Husky Stadium.

The Hurricanes had not practiced with crowd noise. He had trouble calling audibles and burned several timeouts. He fumbled twice, tripped and fell twice, and muffed a snap. Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari's court appearance on drunken driving charges was postponed until Monday. Bellisari had been scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but the judge granted his lawyers' request for a delay.

Bellisari's case will be by Judge Bill Pol-litt, a member of the last Ohio State football team to win a national championship, in 1968. Coach Jim Tressel suspended Bellisari from the team Friday and reinstated him Sunday night. Bellisari is scheduled to travel with the team for a game against No. 11 Michigan on Saturday. Bellisari was arrested Friday by Ohio State campus police.

Quentin Jammer of Texas, Edward Reed of Miami and Roy Williams of Oklahoma were selected as finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the best defensive back. The winner will be announced Dec. 6. Track and field: Enthusiasts call for her ouster after she declines to discuss decision not to fund LA. indoor meet.

By HELENE ELLIOTT TIMES STAFF WRITER About 20 track enthusiasts and representatives of local politicians vowed to unseat Anita DeFrantz as president of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles on Tuesday after she canceled a meeting to discuss why she discontinued the AAF's funding of the Los Angeles Invitational Indoor track meet. group: "It's absolutely ridiculous. This woman is in a prominent position. She gives something like $800,000 to rowing and when we ask for $20,000 she says we don't have enough Olympic exposure. There's something untoward happening.

Maybe we need to replace Anita DeFrantz. Maybe we need to replace the board." The AAF, endowed with surplus funds from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, awards grants to youth sports organizations throughout Southern California and organizes its own sports and coaching programs. It gave the L.A. Invitational $20,000 each of the past four years to sponsor the high school portion of the meet, which draws about 2,000 competitors. Promoters Al and Don Franken have said the AAF's decision jeopardized the future of the meet, whose 42nd edition is scheduled for Feb.

23 at the Sports Arena. The Frankens have worked on a shoestring budget since they lost their last major sponsor in 1995, leaving them unable to draw elite athletes who command high appearance fees. Her refusal to meet, Al Franken said, "sends out a red flag that Anita is trying to hide something." DeFrantz said she favors programs that promote teaching, learning and competing, aims she said would not be furthered on a long-term basis by funding the Invitational. She agreed to meet with a small opposi tion delegation but reversed course Monday after re ceiving a fax from Wilson that requested a grant of $100,000, asked her to account for the time she spent on International Olympic Committee business, and demanded she resign to "devote full-time to your IOC ambitions." DeFrantz was the first female vice president of the IOC and unsuccessfully ran for the IOC presidency last summer. "This is about two guys the Frankens promoting a track meet," she said.

"It's not a priority for the AAF, to support next year. We have a lot of programs we need to fund for kids in a lot of sports. Those two men have a business. They're promoters. 1 "We have to look at how we spend our funds next year.

There's so much that needs to be done and this one-day track meet is so far down on the list." Patrick Escobar, the AAF's vice president for grants and programs, said the organization had funded many track programs for kids and had introduced them to new sports such as speedskating, cricket and rowing. "It's serving youth through sports, not serving youth through track and field," he said of the AAF's goal. "Not every kid has the skill to play basketball or participate in track and field." The group became boisterous when denied en trance to the foundation's headquarters and library at 2141 W. Adams, and several members tried to break past a security guard at the door. After being calmed by Conrad Freund, the AAF's vice president for fi nance and administration, the participants dis persedbut not before saying their fight isn't over.

"She's not dealing with our private world. She's dealing in the arena of public opinion now," said Don Wilson, an aide to Rep. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles). Said Clint Rosemond of the L.A. Track Nuts fan John Parker resigned as head coach at Cheyney (Pa.) University after compiling a 4-38 record in four years.

Cheyney finished 0-10 this season..