California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
6-18, 2-7
Cal State Fullerton
9-13, 1-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSUN | 31 | 22 | 53 |
| Cal State Fullerton | 35 | 34 | 69 |
Second Half Slump Costs CSUN in 69-53 Loss to Cal State Fullerton
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FULLERTON, Calif. -
Cold shooting in the second half proved to be the difference as the CSUN Matadors (6-18, 2-7 Big West) fell 69-53 to the Cal State Fullerton Titans (9-13, 1-6 Big West) on Thursday night at Titan Gym. Stephan Hicks led the way for CSUN with 16 points and nine rebounds, but the team shot just 36 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes.
"You're not going to win any games when your three bigs get nine rebounds between them," said CSUN head coach Reggie Theus. "It's a tough thing and we have all of the excuses in the world. I can recite 10 or 15 excuses that are very legitimate but you still have to play the game when it's all said and done."
The Matadors and Titans played a tight first half that saw both teams shooting over 40 percent. After falling behind 10-5 in the first four minutes CSUN rallied for the next six points, capped by an emphatic dunk by Stephen Maxwell, to take the lead 11-10.
The Titans built their lead back up to eight points iwth 7:31 to go in the half before a 10-2 run by the Matadors tied things once more at 27-27. After Aaron Parks hit two free throws to keep the margin at two points with eight seconds on the clock, Josh Gentry ran the floor and made a layup to give Fullerton a 35-31 halftime lead.
Sheldon Blackwell made the first basket of the second half for the Titans to increase the lead to six, and the Matadors were unable to get closer than four points the rest of the way. The gap ballooned to 18 points, 59-41, with 8:55 to play and Fullerton held off any attempt of a comeback.
In addition to leading the Matadors in scoring and rebounding, Hicks had a block and went 6-for-6 at the free-throw line. Parks finished with 11 points and three rebounds off the bench while Landon Drew had three points and a game-high five assists.
Tre Hale-Edmerson led the Matadors with three blocks on the night and every CSUN player in the game had at least three points and at least one rebound.
"It was a real struggle earlier in the season because I couldn't hit a shot," said Taelin Webb, whose six points were one off his career high set earlier this year at Arizona. "I've kept with it and try to stay positive so I can keep working on my game."
The Matadors will return home for their next game, taking on Big West-leading UC Davis on Saturday, Feb, 7 at 7:30 p.m. The game will follow the CSUN women's basketball game at 4 p.m. against Cal State Fullerton and will be broadcast regionally by FOX Sports Prime Ticket.
