CSUN to Host Cal State Fullerton & Long Beach State This Week

Women's Basketball Notebook #11

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The CSUN Women's Basketball team (5-6, 1-0 Big West) returns to the Matadome to host a pair of games this week against Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State. Thursday's game against Cal State Fullerton is set for 7 p.m. while Saturday's game against The Beach is a 2 p.m. start. Both games will be on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio with Jill Painter Lopez on the call.

As of Jan. 7, due to the continuing rise of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, CSUN Athletics has announced that indoor Matador home athletics events will be closed to the general public until further notice, effective immediately. Only the families and guests of team members will be permitted to attend such events, and all game day health and safety protocols remain in effect.

This decision has been made with consideration of recommended COVID-19 protocols to best allow our student-athletes and coaches to compete in a safe and healthy environment. The campus will continue to follow guidelines based on the latest public health protocols. Tickets will not be available to the general public, and non-ticketed guests should not come to The Matadome. Season and single game ticket purchasers will be contacted by the CSUN Athletics Ticket Office with information regarding refunds and credits to their accounts.

Like the Matadors, Cal State Fullerton returned to the court Saturday after a three-game sabbatical due to COVID protocols. The Titans fell to 5-6 overall as Cal State Fullerton dropped a 54-52 decision at Hawai'i in the league opener for the Titans.

Lily Wahinekapu is eighth in the Big West in scoring at 12.8 points per game. She is second in the BWC in assists (4.5) and 10th in steals (1.6). Ashlee Lewis leads the squad in rebounding and is 10th in the league with 6.4 rebounds per game average. Lewis is second in the conference in field goal shooting as she is shooting 50.9% per game.

Cal State Fullerton broke a 19-game CSUN winning streak in the all-time series when the Titans defeated the Matadors 67-52 in the first round of the 2020 Big West Tournament in the last game between the two clubs. CSUN leads the all-time series 29-28.

Long Beach State is the Big West leader as The Beach are 9-1, 2-0 in league play. Long Beach State is at UC Santa Barbara Thursday night before heading to Northridge.

Maddi Utti, the Big West Player of the Week ending Jan. 2, is the league leader in steals (3.6), She is third in the conference in rebounding (8.2), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8), fourth in blocked shots (1.2), sixth in assists (3.7), and 11th in scoring (11.8). Utti and teammate Justina King are tied for the Big West lead in minutes per game at 34.9. King is third in the BWC in assists (4.3), fourth in scoring (13.2), fifth in field goal shooting (41.4), and fifth in steals (2.2).

This is the 64th meeting between CSUN and Long Beach State with The Beach leading the all-time series 43-20.

CSUN defeated Cal Poly 51-45 Jan. 8 to mark the return to the courts for the Matadors from a three-game sabbatical due to COVID protocols. Sydney Woodley scored a team-high 13 points as she went 8-for-8 from the free throw line including 4-for-4 in the final 43 seconds of the game. Kayanna Spriggs grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds against the Mustangs. Spriggs' 15-rebound performance was the most by a CSUN player since De'Jionae Calloway grabbed 17 against California Baptist on Nov. 9, 2019.

The Matadors have moved up to 27th in Division I this week in steals per game (11.0). The 121 steals that the Matadors have posted are 96th in Division I to begin the week. Woodley is 63rd in Division I to begin the week in steals per game as she is averaging 2.45 per game. Her 27 steals are 113th in D-1 as the week gets underway.

~#UniteTheValley~

CSUN to Host Cal State Fullerton & Long Beach State This Week

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Players Mentioned

Kayanna Spriggs

Sydney Woodley