Idaho State Bengals Squeeze By Matadors, 84-79

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Pocatello, ID – The CSUN Matadors (4-9) fell to the Idaho State University Bengals (5-7) on Tuesday night in Reed Gym, 79-84.

Junior Kendall Smith led the Matadors in scoring with 21 points, one short of his career high, and sophomore Micheal Warren scored 18 to go along with seven rebounds and a career-high six assists. Sophomore Tavrion Dawson also scored in double-figures with 11 and senior Olalekan Ajayi had 10 rebounds to lead the team.

Sophomore Jerron Wilbut scored 15, matching his career high from his collegiate debut last week. Senior Tre Hale-Edmerson scored 10 with five rebounds and now has 604 total rebounds for his career.

"I thought we started the game off well and played really well in spurts, but when the game was on the line we didn't do the hard things to win the game," said Head Coach Reggie Theus. "We made critical mistakes down the stretch and we didn't make big shots."

A jumper by Ajayi about a minute in put the Matadors up 2-0 to start the game, and they held the early lead until the 13:00 mark when the Bengals tied it at 13. CSUN fought back, though, and a long 3 by Wilbut brought the Matadors within two, 21-23, with 7:00 to play. A 3-point play by Warren tied the game at 29 and the game stayed back-and-forth for the remainder of the half. The Matadors had the last possession and went to the locker rooms up 37-36 on a 3-pointer by Dawson at the buzzer.

The Matadors and Bengals shot almost identically through the first 20 minutes, with CSUN shooting 43 percent to Idaho State's 40 percent, the Matadors hitting 31 percent of their 3-point shots to the Bengals' 30 percent and the teams an identical 9-for-12 at the free throw line.

The second half started off even as well, but the Bengals pulled ahead about five minutes in and were leading by 13 with 11:00 to play.

CSUN sped up the game and with just under 7:00 left, the Matadors pulled within two points, and then within one with 5:00 to go. The score was again back-and-forth and the Matadors stayed within a basket or two for the remainder of the night. Several last-second efforts by CSUN shooters with the final seconds on the clock weren't enough and the difference came at the 3-point line, where the Matadors shot 28 percent to the Bengals' 32.

For the Bengals, guard Ali Faruq-Bey led the team in scoring with 32 points. Guard Ethan Telfair went 11-for-13 at the free throw line and added 10 points and six assists, a team high.

The Matadors conclude non-conference play this Saturday, January 2 when they play Morgan State at 7:30 p.m. in The Matadome in the second game of an In-N-Out Doubleheader with the CSUN women's basketball team. They then open up Big West Conference play on Wednesday, January 6 vs. Long Beach State at 7:00 p.m.

Idaho State Bengals Squeeze By Matadors, 84-79

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Team Stats

Kendall Smith

Micheal Warren

Jerron Wilbut

Tavrion Dawson

Players Mentioned

Olalekan Ajayi

Tavrion Dawson

Tre Hale-Edmerson

Kendall Smith

Micheal Warren

Jerron Wilbut