CSUN Defeats UC Riverside, 73-71

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Riverside, CA – The CSUN Matadors (8-14, 3-5 BWC) defeated the UC Riverside Highlanders (13-12, 4-5 BWC) on Wednesday night in SRC Arena in Riverside, 73-71. The Matadors were up by as much as 20 in the first half and maintained their lead until about midway through the second half. Strong defense held off a late Highlander rally for a CSUN victory.

Sophomore Micheal Warren led the Matadors with 25 points on the night and senior Tre Hale-Edmerson scored 13 to go along with five assists, two blocks and a steal. Senior Olalekan Ajayi led the team with seven rebounds, scoring six.

Fellow starters Kendall Smith and Aaron Parks each had four assists, with Parks scoring eight and Smith nine.

"It was really nice for us to come out with the energy and the defense that we need to see every day," said Head Coach Reggie Theus. "I think our defensive mentality, our game plan, everything was going the way it should because we played hard. Consequently, because we hit on the defensive end, the offense flowed."

The Matadors got off to a hot start with 10 unanswered points, starting the game with two 3-pointers and two free throws by Warren. Warren scored 16 total points in the first half and was 5-for-7 at the free throw line. CSUN shot 60 percent in the first 20 minutes and 50 percent from beyond the arc.

A jumper and a long 2-pointer by Hale-Edmerson along with a layup by Warren kept the Matadors moving in the beginning of the second half, although the Highlanders crept closer, decreasing their deficit to five points eight minutes in. CSUN widened the gap, but the Highlanders kept the pressure up, pulling to within two with just under seven minutes to play.

Two unanswered baskets by the Matadors brought them back into control, but following a CSUN timeout, the Highlanders regrouped and pulled within one point, then took the lead on a dunk by Alex Larsson with 3:00 to go. A layup and a free throw by Warren put the Matadors back on top and strong defense kept the score there heading into the final minute of the game.

In the last 30 seconds, Parks stole the ball twice, keeping CSUN in control. The Highlanders had the final possession with seven seconds to go, but weren't able to capitalize and the buzzer sounded with CSUN winning by two.

"I thought Tre Hale-Edmerson played a great game, a really solid all-around game. Mikey Warren, he's a real player. When it's all said and done, although I think we can get better, we made plays down the stretch that were necessary," added Theus. "All the little things that needed to happen happened."

The Matadors finished shooting 52 percent, including 58 percent in the second half. They were 6-for-15, good for 40 percent, on 3-pointers.

Hale-Edmerson continues to climb the CSUN charts and tonight moved into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time games played list.

For the Highlanders, guard Jaylen Bland scored 22 points, six of them on 3s. Forward Secean Johnson led the team with seven rebounds.

The Matadors travel to Long Beach State for a 4:00 p.m. game this Saturday before returning to The Matadome for a rematch against Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m, Matador Pride T-shirt Night.

CSUN Defeats UC Riverside, 73-71

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Team Stats

Micheal Warren

Tre Hale-Edmerson

Kendall Smith

Aaron Parks

Players Mentioned

Olalekan Ajayi

Tre Hale-Edmerson

Aaron Parks

Kendall Smith

Micheal Warren