CSUN Falls to the University of San Diego Toreros, 63-81

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San Diego, CA – The CSUN Matadors (4-8) fell to the University of San Diego Toreros (5-6) on Wednesday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, 63-81. The loss snaps the Matadors' two-game win streak.

Sophomores Micheal Warren and Jerron Wilbut, who made his CSUN debut, each scored in double figures on the night. Warren scored 20 to go along with four rebounds and eight free throws and Wilbut scored 15. Senior Olalekan Ajayi had nine boards and junior Kendall Smith scored nine points and had a season-high four rebounds.

Senior Tre Hale-Edmerson moved up a spot on the all-time CSUN rebounds list with a season-high six rebounds on the night, bumping George Robnett (1970-4) down a spot. Hale-Edmerson is now eighth all-time with 599. He also tied a season high with three blocks on Wednesday.

"For the most part, we didn't take the ball to the basket until the second half. We ended up with 28 free throws but that all came late," said Head Coach Reggie Theus. "Really, the bottom line is that they out-toughed us."

Warren got the game underway for the Matadors, hitting a long jumper, before Hale-Edmerson put the Matadors on top, 5-4, with a 3 just under three minutes in. The Matadors held their lead for a few minutes before the Toreros pulled away and the two teams went to the locker room with CSUN trailing, 26-38.

Wilbut, who is on the Matadors' active roster for the first time this season, saw his first collegiate minutes in the first half. His first CSUN basket was a 3-pointer.

The Matadors shot 35 percent in the first half to the Toreros' 52 percent and only went to the free throw line six times.

The Toreros pulled steadily ahead through the beginning of the second half, but CSUN had a 14-point run around the midway point and pulled within 10 points at 48-58. With just under four minutes to play, the Toreros had a 20-point lead, which they maintained for the remainder of the game.

CSUN finished 64 percent at the free throw line and 38 percent overall. The Matadors hit just three of 14 3-pointers.

Sophomore guard Vasa Pusica led the Toreros in scoring with 17 points and four rebounds. USD finished with 41 total rebounds, led by eight from junior forward Brett Bailey, and senior center Jito Kok had five blocks on the night. USD scored a school-record 15 3-pointers in the game.

Next week, The Matadors head to Pocatello, ID for a game against the Idaho State Bengals on Tuesday, Dec. 29. They return to The Matadome to face Morgan State on Saturday, January 2 in a doubleheader with the CSUN women's team before the Big West Conference opener in The Matadome on Wednesday, January 6 vs. Long Beach State.

CSUN Falls to the University of San Diego Toreros, 63-81

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Team Stats

Micheal Warren

Jerron Wilbut

Kendall Smith

Tre Hale-Edmerson

Players Mentioned

Olalekan Ajayi

Tre Hale-Edmerson

Kendall Smith

Micheal Warren

Jerron Wilbut