California State University at Northridge
20-9, 10-5
UC Riverside
16-12, 7-7
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Matadors Defeat Highlanders 88-70 to Move Into Second Place in the Big West
2/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
With Saturday's win, CSUN will finish the regular season with at least 20 Ws for just the fourth time in program history and the second time since it joined Division I. The last team to win 21 was the '98-'99 squad. Â Twenty is also the most for Head Coach Jason Flowers with CSUN.Â
"Our group is starting to do the things that it takes to accomplish the goals that they set out to accomplish," said Flowers. "It's a testament to our kids, to their character, that they always find a way to overcome whatever obstacles that are put in front of them. Now they're starting to do a lot of good things."
In addition to her career points high, Guay's three assists on Saturday move her into eighth place all-time in Big West history, with her total now at 520. She also had six rebounds on Saturday.
"It came into the flow of the game, playing how we were supposed to play and doing what the coach says to do," said Guay. "One day it's going to be me, one day it's going to be someone else."
Although CSUN won by almost 30 points and led for all but 8:42, the first half was a back-and-forth battle. The Highlanders scored the first layup of the game, and it was possession-for-possession after that, with the teams going to the locker room tied at 36. Â The most either team led by in the first half was six points. The sides were nearly identical on field goals, with CSUN shooting 14-for-30 and UCR 14-for-29.
Guay and Cinnamon Lister led the Matadors in the first 20, as Guay scored 11 and Lister added seven, with both seniors hitting threes. Jasmine Johnson and Emily Cole scored six apiece, with all of Cole's points coming on 3-pointers and Johnson also contributing two key rebounds. Â
The pace of the game changed in the second half. Â Both offenses worked to slow the ball down, and there were also a lot more whistles. While only 10 fouls were called in the first half, the second half added 16 more on CSUN and 12 more on the Highlanders.
Guay again led the Matadors in the second half, and she only missed one attempted layup, netting nine. Camille Mahlknecht also came out strong in the second half, adding 10 points, three rebounds and two key free throws. Overall, the Matadors improved from shooting 47% in the first half to 67% in the second.
"It showed in the second half," said Guay. "Once we started talking, we were communicating, we were playing team defense, we were moving the ball on offense, it all came together. It shows that when you play your game and you play as a team, then it works. It was a really good feeling to see us play like that."
The Matadors' bench contributed a total of 22 points on Saturday night, and the offense managed a total of 46 points in the paint, to Riverside's 14. Cole added two more threes in the second half to make her 4-for-6 on 3-pointers for the night.
"I think our leaders have stepped up and been willing to do their job," said Flowers on the team's effort. "It's one thing to be a strong player and it's another to encourage your teammates to give the same effort that you do. I think that as we've gotten closer to the end of the season we've had leadership at all levels."
The Highlanders' Brittany Crain set the pace on the other side of the ball. She scored 22, including three consecutive 3-pointers in the first half, and finished with five rebounds. Michelle Curry contributed 15 points and eight rebounds for UC Riverside.
The Matadors have won seven of their last eight against UC Riverside, and have come away victorious in the SRC for the fourth-straight year.
CSUN plays next on Thursday, March 5 against Long Beach State. The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. in The Matadome.