California State University Northridge Athletics
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
12/14/2020 12:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---Junior TJ Starks earned his first career Big West Player of the Week award on Monday, the league office announced. Starks led the Matadors offensively with a career-high 24 points in CSUN's road win at Pepperdine on Saturday.
Originally from Oak Cliff, Texas, Starks is off to an impressive start to his Matador career in 2020-21. Through four games, he is third in the Big West in scoring with 19.3 points per game and 10th in steals at 1.5 per game. His 11 3-point makes are also tied for first in the Big West. Starks is averaging 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds while he is shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from 3-point range.
Starks recorded his third-straight 20-point game in the 89-84 win over Pepperdine at the Firestone Fieldhouse. He made 8-of-15 from the field including 3-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. He added five assists and a steal in 32 minutes of action. Starks scored eight of the Matadors' final 10 points to help hold off the Waves down the stretch of the game. He made a timely 3-pointer and layup before making three free throws in the final minute. His free throw with 34 seconds remaining broke an 84-84 and would give the Matadors the lead for good.
Starks' 24 points against Pepperdine was a new career-high for the 6-2 guard, surpassing his previous high of 23 he scored at Texas A&M on three separate occasions from 2017-19.
Beginning the year at 3-1, the Matadors have posted their best four-game start to a season since 2012-13. Earlier this season, Pepperdine had defeated UC Irvine and California while it took UCLA to triple overtime before losing.
CSUN returns to action on Tuesday afternoon against Stanford inside The Matadome at 2 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
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Originally from Oak Cliff, Texas, Starks is off to an impressive start to his Matador career in 2020-21. Through four games, he is third in the Big West in scoring with 19.3 points per game and 10th in steals at 1.5 per game. His 11 3-point makes are also tied for first in the Big West. Starks is averaging 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds while he is shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from 3-point range.
Starks recorded his third-straight 20-point game in the 89-84 win over Pepperdine at the Firestone Fieldhouse. He made 8-of-15 from the field including 3-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. He added five assists and a steal in 32 minutes of action. Starks scored eight of the Matadors' final 10 points to help hold off the Waves down the stretch of the game. He made a timely 3-pointer and layup before making three free throws in the final minute. His free throw with 34 seconds remaining broke an 84-84 and would give the Matadors the lead for good.
Starks' 24 points against Pepperdine was a new career-high for the 6-2 guard, surpassing his previous high of 23 he scored at Texas A&M on three separate occasions from 2017-19.
Beginning the year at 3-1, the Matadors have posted their best four-game start to a season since 2012-13. Earlier this season, Pepperdine had defeated UC Irvine and California while it took UCLA to triple overtime before losing.
CSUN returns to action on Tuesday afternoon against Stanford inside The Matadome at 2 p.m.
#UniteTheValley
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