CSUN Pushes Towards Big West Tournament This Week

Women's Basketball Notebook

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The CSUN women's basketball team concludes the regular season this week. On Thursday, the Matadors will honor the 2018 senior class of Taylor Nate, Jordan Smith, and Tessa Boagni prior to the 7 p.m. tip.

Nate joined the CSUN women's basketball program after a four-year career with the Matador softball team. Using her final year of eligibility, Nate started her very first game with CSUN against No. 11 Oregon during the Nov. 10 season opener in Eugene. In 23 appearances this year, Nate has started seven times. She has scored 52 points and grabbed 51 rebounds to go along with 18 assists and five blocks.

Smith joined the Matadors in 2015 after spending one season at Casper College in Wyoming. She has appeared in 29 games, starting twice. She has scored 51 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and blocked seven shots. She has also recorded six assists. Boagni is ninth in school history in games played (116) and ninth in career blocks (98). She has a chance to become the 12th CSUN women's basketball player to score at least 1,000 points in a career as she enters the final two games of the regular season with 950 points scored.

Thursday's game will also feature free admission for kids (up to three) when two adults purchase tickets if EVERY member of the family/group is wearing CSUN attire.

CSUN enters the final week of the regular season sitting in fifth which would mean the Matadors would play in the first round of the Big West Tournament next Tuesday at Cal State Fullerton against the eighth seed. As of Feb. 28, the eighth seed could be Cal State Fullerton, Hawai'i or Long Beach State.

However, CSUN could end up as the No. 3 seed. The Matadors would have to win both games this week, have UC Santa Barbara lose and UC Irvine lose both of their games. The tiebreaker would be in favor of CSUN in that scenario as the Matadors own a win over first place UC Davis.

CSUN could end up as the No. 4 seed if the Matadors win both of their games this week and UC Santa Barbara loses to Hawai'i. The tiebreaker would be in favor of the Matadors again as CSUN owns a victory over UC Davis. CSUN could also earn the fourth seed if UC Santa Barbara wins and UC Irvine loses both of their games. CSUN would again have the tiebreaker as the Matadors have the victory over UC Davis.

The CSUN Sports Network presented by Dignity Health will have Thursday's broadcast with Eric Kaback on the call. UC Irvine has lost three in row coming into Thursday's game and have fallen into third place (9-5) in the Big West. UCI is 17-11 overall.

Morgan Green, the Michigan State transfer, is averaging 23.2 points in 13 games for UCI since becoming eligible on Jan. 6. She is also averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. Green is second on the team in assists (51) and steals (40). Tahila Garza is seventh in the league in rebounding (6.2). Lauren Saiki leads the team in assists (89) and is seventh in conference in steals (1.6). CSUN leads the all-time series 27-25 after UCI defeated the Matadors 56-47 Jan. 27 in Irvine.

Saturday's regular season finale at Long Beach State is set for 4 p.m. Kaback will have the call on the CSUN Sports Network presented by Dignity Health. A video link will be produced by Long Beach State. All links for this week's action can be found on GoMatadors.com on the women's basketball schedule page.

The 49ers have won three in a row entering this week's action and have moved into a tie for seventh with Hawai'i in the Big West with a 4-10 conference mark. Long Beach State is 6-22 overall. Shanaijah Davison leads the team and is eighth in the Big West in scoring with a 13.5 point per game average. Cecily Wilson is second on the team in scoring (10.4) and is eighth in the conference in rebounding (6.1). Long Beach State leads the all-time series 41-18. The 49ers defeated CSUN 59-51 Feb. 8 in Northridge.

Lahni Salanoa's three-pointer with 2:09 to play in fourth quarter proved to be the difference as the University of Hawai'i defeated CSUN 56-54 Feb. 22. Channon Fluker registered her 51st career double-double with a game high 24 points and 12 rebounds. Boagni scored 14 points and had eight rebounds. Salanoa led Hawai'i (11-15, 4-9 Big West) with 19 points. She was 7-of-10 from the floor, 5-of-8 from three-point range. Toeaina charted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Fluker has a chance to join the 1000-1000 club this week. With 1,482 career points, Fluker has grabbed 991 rebounds (as of 2/22/18), breaking the old CSUN career mark of 923 which was set by Denise Sutton (1982-87). Fluker is ninth on the all-time rebound list in the Big West. If and when she gets to 1,000 she would be just the ninth BWC player ever to do so. The 6-4 center is already the CSUN record holder for career rebounds per game (11.4). If she maintains the 11.4 career rebound average, she has a chance to become the Big West's all-time leading rebounder. The league record is 1,441 which was set by Hawai'i's Judy Mosley (1986-90).

~www.GoMatadors.com~

CSUN Pushes Towards Big West Tournament This Week

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Players Mentioned

Tessa Boagni

Channon Fluker

Taylor Nate

Jordan Smith