CSUN Rallies Past UC Riverside, 82-76

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NORTHRIDGE, CA---

CSUN Men's Basketball (5-9, 1-0 BWC) rallied from a double-digit second half deficit to post a conference-opening win over UC Riverside (2-10, 0-1 BWC), 82-76, on Wednesday evening at The Matadome. Kendall Smith nearly earned a double-double as he recorded a career-high nine assists along with 21 points while Darin Johnson finished with 21 points of his own and seven rebounds. The tandem of Tavrion Dawson and Aaron Parks scored 12 apiece and Micheal Warren chipped in with 10 points off the bench on 4-of-4 shooting.

"I have to say that this was probably the gutsiest win we've had all season," said head coach Reggie Theus. "Being down nine at halftime, as many as 13, the confidence level on the team never wavered. I thought the guys felt like they could win the game. In the second half, our defense got very stubborn. It's an important win for us because its a home win, the next two games are on the road, we have to keep building. What I saw, which was pretty evident, was camaraderie in the second half. I saw guys pulling together, I saw guys talking about defense. Hopefully, this is another step in the right direction for us."

Seeking its first winning streak of the season, the Matadors would need to stage a second half comeback to take their conference opener with UC Riverside. Held to 37.0 percent shooting in the first half, CSUN rebounded well in the final period, shooting 55.6 percent over the last 20:00 for a 46.3 percent clip for the game. On the flip side, the Highlanders shot 57.1 percent in the opening stanza before being held to 44.1 percent after halftime. CSUN hit a season-high 27 free throws on 36 attempts (75.0 percent) while UCR went 16-for-29 (55.2 percent) for the night.

The teams battled back-and-forth in the early stages of the first half. Following a layup from Rakim Lubin, the Matadors jumped out to 7-2 lead at the 14:50 mark but the Highlanders responded with a 15-6 run to take a 17-13 lead. CSUN fell behind, 24-17, but got back into the game with a 9-1 run over a 2:34 span to go back in front 26-25.

The Matadors would hit a dry spell to end the first half, however, going without a field goal over the final 5:25 of the period. UC Riverside would capitalize with a 13-3 run to go into halftime ahead 38-29. Chance Murray, who scored all seven of his points in the half during the stretch, nailed a 3-pointer as the halftime buzzer sounded but his 3-pointer was waived off as he was unable to get the shot off before time expired.

UCR continued its strong play in the early stages of the second half. Four-straight points stretched the lead to the biggest of the night at 42-29 at the 18:52 mark. CSUN responded with a 8-2 spurt but UCR again extended its lead back to 13 after a 3-pointer from Murray that made it 52-39.

Once again trailing by its biggest margin, CSUN would not go away quietly in the final minutes. Unable to cool the Highlanders' hot shooting in the first half, the Matadors' defense would step up when it counted the most. CSUN held UC Riverside scoreless over six of eight possessions, giving itself an opportunity to rally. Receiving six points from Dawson and a key 3-pointer from Warren, the Matadors posted a 17-4 run that evened the game at 56-56 with 9:18 left to play.

After UCR briefly went in front, CSUN scored seven unanswered to take a 63-58 lead. The Highlanders would not go away easily as a 10-5 run tied the game once more at 68-68 with 2:31 on the clock.

The Matadors though would get to the free throw line with regularity down the stretch and take advantage of the free opportunities at points. CSUN knocked down 12 of 14 free throws in the final 2:31 to remain in front.

With CSUN ahead 75-72 and a less than a minute to go, Gentrey Thomas was fouled but missed two key free throws, giving CSUN an opportunity to ice the game at the line. Smith knocked down a pair from the charity stripe and both Parks and Johnson each hit key free throws lifting the Matadors to the six-point win.

Going 10-for-10 at the foul line, Smith is the 26th Matador to ever knock down at least all 10 of his free throws without a miss in a game. His nine assists against UC Riverside eclipse his previous career high of eight that he had posted twice earlier in the season. Smith also extended his streak of double-digit scoring performances to nine.

With eight free throws made on the night, Parks moved into sixth place in the Matador record books with 364 career made free throws. Parks is 12 away from tying Ian Boylan (2001-05) for fifth place on the list.

For the Highlanders, Murray finished with a team-high 21 points while Thomas scored 15 off the bench.

The Matadors return to the road to face Cal State Fullerton on Saturday evening with tip off slated for 7:30 p.m.

CSUN Rallies Past UC Riverside, 82-76

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Team Stats

Darin Johnson

Kendall Smith

Tavrion Dawson

Aaron Parks

Players Mentioned

Tavrion Dawson

Darin Johnson

Rakim Lubin

Aaron Parks

Kendall Smith

Micheal Warren