CSUN Rings in New Year at UC San Diego on Saturday

FULL GAME NOTES

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Basketball opens up the 2022 calendar year at UC San Diego on Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ while Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister are on the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio. Spectators are not permitted to attend the game at the RIMAC Arena.

Saturday is scheduled to be the first meeting between CSUN and UC San Diego since the Tritons joined the Big West Conference last season. However, the game will be marked as a non-conference game since UCSD is still going through its Division I transition. The result will not affect the Matadors' conference record.

After COVID-19 precautions wiped away the Matadors' two scheduled games against UC San Diego last season, Saturday represents the third-ever meeting between the two programs in men's basketball. CSUN has won both meetings but has not played UCSD since 1980 when the Matadors were a Division II program. The Matadors' only game played at UC San Diego took place on Nov. 29, 1977, in a 77-64 victory. CSUN prevailed in the team's last meeting in Jan. 5, 1980, by an 87-76 score.

The Matadors' scheduled Big West opener against UC Irvine was canceled this week due to COVID-19 precautions within the Anteaters' program. Per the Big West policies, the game is declared a no contest and will not be rescheduled. Since CSUN's game with UCSD is considered a non-conference game, the Matadors' official Big West opener is now set for Thursday, Jan. 6 against CSU Bakersfield at The Matadome.

CSUN is coming off a frustrating 82-80 loss to Bethesda on Dec. 22 at The Matadome. The Matadors rallied from 13 points down to take a one-point lead with 1:03 remaining on a 3-pointer from Elijah Hardy. However, the Flames went back in front on the ensuing possession via a three-point play and would hold on to their slim lead in the closing seconds.

Despite the loss, Hardy had a memorable night against Bethesda, scoring a new career-high of 27 points to go with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Hardy also went 7-of-13 from 3-point range. His seven 3-pointers were tied for the third-most made in a game in CSUN history. The Matadors also received 13 points from Darius Beane while Atin Wright chipped in with 12 points.

Wright leads the Matadors in scoring this season at 12.4 points per game while he leads the Big West in free throw percentage (94.7). Hardy ranks fourth in the Big West in steals per game (1.5) and seventh in assists per game (2.8) to go with his 10.4 scoring average. Christian Gray is the top Matador rebounder at 5.8 per game, which ranks 12th-best in the conference. In blocks per game, Brendan Harrick is third in the Big West (1.1 BPG) followed by Fidelis Okereke in sixth place (0.9 BPG).

A Closer Look at UC San Diego
UCSD is 6-5 entering play this week including going a perfect 4-0 at the RIMAC Arena. Perhaps the team's most impressive win in its short Division I history came earlier this season in an 80-67 win at California on Nov. 9. The Tritons are in their second year of a four-year transition to NCAA Division I. Along with its transition, UC San Diego will play a full slate of Big West Conference games but will not be included in the men's basketball standings. Head coach Eric Olen is in his ninth season at the helm of the program and his 18th overall with the Tritons.

Toni Rocak is currently fifth in the Big West in rebounds per game (7.2) and eighth in points per game (13.2). Also scoring in double figures, Francis Nwaokorie is posting 11.9 points while Bryce Pope is averaging 10.7 points. As a team, the Tritons are shooting 38.7 percent from 3-point range led by Jake Kosakowski who has made 24-of-37 from downtown (51.1 percent).

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CSUN Rings in New Year at UC San Diego on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Darius Beane

Christian Gray

Elijah Hardy

Brendan Harrick

Fidelis Okereke

Atin Wright