Matadors Claim Overtime Win at UC Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Junior Serafina Maulupe knocked down two critical 3-pointers in overtime to help lift the CSUN women's basketball team (13-11, 6-4 BWC) to a 70-67 overtime victory at UC Riverside Saturday afternoon at the SRC Arena. Maulupe finished with a team-high 22 points and tied a career high with six assists while sophomore Channon Fluker had 18 points and 18 rebounds as CSUN won its fifth-straight Big West game.

After UCR knocked down a 3-pointer to send the game into the extra period, Maulupe canned a big pair of 3-pointers, including one to put CSUN back ahead 69-67 with 2:07 to play. From there, Tessa Boagni knocked down a free throw and the CSUN defense held strong to preserve the victory.

CSUN led 62-57 after a pair of free throws from Maulupe with 18 seconds left in regulation. The Highlanders responded with two 3-pointers to tie the game and set it to overtime.

Maulupe finished 4-of-21 from the field and 4-of-15 from 3-point range in a career-high 41 minutes of work. She also tied a career high with six assists and had five rebounds. With 61 3-pointers on the year, Maulupe ranks seventh in school history for a single season.

Fluker posted her league-leading 16th double-double of the season. She was 9-of-13 from the field and added a block in a season-high 39 minutes of work. With 289 rebounds on the year, Fluker ranks second in school history for a single season and needs six more to set a new program record.

CSUN led 17-10 at the end of the first quarter after posting a 12-2 run to close the period. In the second, UCR answered with a 15-2 run of its own to take a 23-19 lead before Maulupe scored five-straight points and Hayley Tanabe added a 3-pointer. A basket from Eliza Matthews sent CSUN to a 33-31 lead at halftime.

In the third, CSUN built its lead to as many as 10 and Fluker had the last basket of the frame to give CSUN a 52-45 advantage after 30 minutes. In the fourth, CSUN struggled from the field, shooting 1-of-16 from the field, but made 9-of-12 free throws in the period.

Matthews finished with 11 rebounds, two points and a career-high three blocked shots. Her third and final rejection came as UCR looked for a tying 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left in overtime. Cheyenne Allen added nine points, five rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes while Tanabe had six points, two rebounds and four dimes.

As a team, CSUN shot 23-of-73 (31.2 percent) from the field and 10-of-36 (27.6 percent) from downtown. The Matadors finished with 61 rebounds, one shy of tying a program record, and had 24 points in the paint. UCR finished at 25-of-81 (30.9 percent) from the field and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from downtown while finishing with 51 rebounds.

Winners of five straight, CSUN returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 16 to take on UC Irvine. The Matadors and Anteaters are slated for a 7 p.m. tip-off from The Matadome and CSUN will wear its pink uniforms as part of the Play4Kay promotion.

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Team Stats

Serafina Maulupe

Channon Fluker

Cheyenne Allen

Claudia Ramos

Players Mentioned

Cheyenne Allen

Tessa Boagni

Channon Fluker

Eliza Matthews

Serafina Maulupe

Hayley Tanabe