California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
6-20 (2-9)
Cal Poly
11-11 (4-6)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSUN | 19 | 44 | 63 |
| Cal Poly | 33 | 37 | 70 |
CSUN Unable to Overcome Early Deficit, Falls 70-63 at Cal Poly
2/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -
The CSUN men's basketball team nearly recovered from a 19-point first-half deficit, but a strong second half was not enough as the Matadors (6-20, 2-9 Big West) fell to the Cal Poly Mustangs (11-11, 4-6 Big West) in a conference game on Thursday night at Mott Athletics Center. Stephan Hicks led the Matadors with 18 points and Stephen Maxwell and Aaron Parks each had 16 in the defeat.
"The hard part is that we are in every game. Things get a little tight, something happens and we don't have very many plays to develop," said CSUN head coach Reggie Theus. "I'm very proud of the way our guys have been playing. We had this game tonight down to three points. When it's all said and done, I'm proud of the way they are playing and how hard they've been playing."
Neither side could find the basket in the opening minutes of the game as another low-scoring contest was tied 4-4 at the first media timeout. It was the Mustangs that found the touch first, rattling off 15 of the next 17 points over a five-minute stretch to lead 19-6.
Cal Poly led by as many as 19 in the first half, 31-12, with 3:18 left on the clock before the Matadors cut the margin to 14 points going into halftime. Ridge Shipley had 19 of his game-high 26 points in the first half and CSUN was limited to 31 percent shooting (9-for-29) in the opening frame.
After the Mustangs took a 17-point lead early in the second half the Matadors went on a 15-2 run of their own, capped by a three-point play from Maxwell, to get back within four points with 12 minutes to play. A three-pointer by Hicks with 6:23 on the clock made it a three-point game before six-consecutive points on the fast break for Cal Poly built the cushion back to nine.
The Mustangs held a lead of 14 with under three minutes to go and sealed the game by making just enough free throws down the stretch. An eight-point flurry from Hicks and Ajon Efferson in the final 18 seconds put the final score at 70-63.
In addition to 16 points, Maxwell added 10 rebounds to record his 39th career double-double. Hicks tied a career high with four assists to lead the Matadors and scored all 18 of his points in the second half.
Parks had three assists and went 5-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-6 at the line in 30 minutes off the bench.
The Matadors return home for their next game to welcome UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Feb. 14. Valentine's Day tipoff between CSUN and the Gauchos is set for 7 p.m. at The Matadome and the first 500 CSUN fans in attendance will receive a free "I [Heart] CSUN Basketball" T-shirt.
