GU plays surging CS Northridge

The Gonzaga men’s basketball team, minus Theo Davis, returns to action against Cal State Northridge (6-1), which is off to its best start in nearly two decades, tonight at 5 at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Davis is leaving the team to return home to be with his father, who suffered a stroke about a month ago in Toronto.

“I have decided the best thing for me and my family is to return home to be with my father during his time of illness,” Davis said in a school press release.

Davis’ father went home from the hospital a few weeks after his stroke, but he requires extensive care. Davis said a couple of weeks ago that his father was able to say a few words and that his recovery “was going to take some time.”

Davis wasn’t with the team for the Washington State game Wednesday. He missed the season opener against Montana to be with his ailing father.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few encouraged Davis to finish the semester – finals at GU are next week – and the school press release indicated Davis will take his exams before he travels home.

Davis, a 6-foot-9, 198-pound freshman forward, has appeared in four games and played 12 minutes. He hasn’t played since the Texas Tech game in the Great Alaska Shootout.

Meanwhile, the 17th-ranked Bulldogs (7-2) turn their attention to the Matadors, hoping to bounce back from a 51-47 loss to No. 8 WSU.

“We talked about it (a possible letdown) and we just said, ‘Hey, this is the last game of this stretch and then you have finals, but we need to be every bit as focused,’ ” Few said.

The Matadors, whose lone loss was to Duquesne 97-74, have five double-digit wins. Their closest victory was a 97-89 road win against Pepperdine of the WCC. Cal State Northridge, picked sixth in the Big West Conference preseason poll, starts three seniors, including forwards Jonathan Heard (13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds) and Calvin Chitwood (13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds). Junior guards Rodrigue Mels and Deon Tresvant come off the bench to supply nearly 20 points per game.

“They really push the ball in transition and they’re playing with a ton of confidence,” Few said. “This is another veteran team.”