Monday, December 19
Northridge, Calif.
7:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
2-8,0-0Big West
73
vs
76
Idaho
6-6,0-0Big Sky
1
2
F
Idaho
39
37
76
CSUN
42
31
73
Photo by: Cassandra Elena Yra
CSUN Falls to Idaho in the Closing Seconds
12/19/2022 9:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Basketball dropped a 76-73 nail biter to Idaho on Monday evening at Premier America Credit Union Arena. Four Matadors scored in double figures led by Atin Wright with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting while Dionte Bostick added 16 points and three assists. The game featured 15 lead changes and nine ties but Idaho hit the go-ahead basket with a minute to play and hit key free throws to secure a win.
The Matadors opened the game by making five of their first seven attempts to stake to a 12-9 lead. Idaho would score the next four points before Fidelis Okereke gave CSUN the lead right back with a move to the basket. The Vandals led by a 21-18 margin near the midway mark of the first half before CSUN dug in defensively. The Matadors held Idaho to two points over a near four-minute span while they completed a 14-2 run. During the scoring stretch, Wright and Marcel Stevens picked up steals leading to baskets.
Wright buried one of his three 3-pointers in the first half with 7:12 to play to give CSUN a 32-23 lead. The Matadors eventually built as big a lead as 13 points (40-27) after threes from Igbanugo and Stevens. However, CSUN went the final three-plus minutes of the first half without a field goal as Idaho chipped away at the lead. The Vandals scored the final eight points of the half capped by a basket from Isaac Jones to cut the CSUN lead to 42-39 at intermission.
Jones scored back-to-back baskets to start the second half to help Idaho catch CSUN at 43-43. Still, the Matadors maintained their lead as an 8-0 run quickly pushed the advantage to 53-44. Igbanugo drove to the basket to give CSUN a 55-49 edge near the 12-minute mark but Idaho countered with a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the second half.
The game of runs continued when the Matadors scored seven unanswered to go ahead 62-56 only to see the Vandals score the next five in a row. Idaho again briefly took a 65-64 lead before Igbanugo nailed another 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. Down the stretch though the Matadors committed three consecutive turnovers, giving the Vandals an opportunity to go back in front.
Stevens would tie the game with 1:19 to play with a key 3-pointer before Jones answered again on the other end for an Idaho two-point lead. After Wright went 1-of-2 at the free throw line, the Matadors had an opportunity to take the lead with less than 20 seconds remianing but committed a costly turnover. Nigel Burris gave the Vandals a 76-73 lead at the free throw line before CSUN had one last opportunity to tie. On the final play, Bostick had a look from behind the 3-point arc but his shot went off the mark.
GAME NOTES
The Matadors (2-8) shot 49.1 percent for the game while they made 8-of-18 from 3-point range (44.4 percent) and 11-of-14 at the free throw line (78.6 percent). Idaho would shoot 48.0 percent from the floor and 92.0 percent at the free throw line (23-of-25). CSUN out-rebounded Idaho 34-23 and led in second chance points, 13-6. The Vandals though led in points off turnovers, 20-13.
Marcel Stevens poured in 12 points on 5-of-7 field goals in 20 minutes while Ethan Igbanugo added 11 points to go with 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. De'Sean Allen-Eikens collected a team-best 11 rebounds with six points. Fidelis Okereke posted eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.
For Idaho, Isaac Jones scored a game-high 29 points and registered 10 rebounds.
ACCORDING TO COACH TRENT JOHNSON
"Going in, we knew we were going to have to play really good defense. The decision we had to make was sometimes to double them off and double [Isaac Jones], sometimes not, and he made us pay. But we had 13 turnovers and four of them were in crucial times late in the second half. We've got to be better defensively. Offensively, we knew we were going to get good shots. Just defensively, I thought there were some breakdowns.
There are positives in a lot of it. We're getting close but close is not good enough. We only have one thing we can do. We can bounce back tomorrow and come out here and practice."
UP NEXT
CSUN closes non-conference play on Thursday with a matinee matchup with San Diego at 1 p.m. Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister have the call on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
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The Matadors opened the game by making five of their first seven attempts to stake to a 12-9 lead. Idaho would score the next four points before Fidelis Okereke gave CSUN the lead right back with a move to the basket. The Vandals led by a 21-18 margin near the midway mark of the first half before CSUN dug in defensively. The Matadors held Idaho to two points over a near four-minute span while they completed a 14-2 run. During the scoring stretch, Wright and Marcel Stevens picked up steals leading to baskets.
Wright buried one of his three 3-pointers in the first half with 7:12 to play to give CSUN a 32-23 lead. The Matadors eventually built as big a lead as 13 points (40-27) after threes from Igbanugo and Stevens. However, CSUN went the final three-plus minutes of the first half without a field goal as Idaho chipped away at the lead. The Vandals scored the final eight points of the half capped by a basket from Isaac Jones to cut the CSUN lead to 42-39 at intermission.
Jones scored back-to-back baskets to start the second half to help Idaho catch CSUN at 43-43. Still, the Matadors maintained their lead as an 8-0 run quickly pushed the advantage to 53-44. Igbanugo drove to the basket to give CSUN a 55-49 edge near the 12-minute mark but Idaho countered with a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the second half.
The game of runs continued when the Matadors scored seven unanswered to go ahead 62-56 only to see the Vandals score the next five in a row. Idaho again briefly took a 65-64 lead before Igbanugo nailed another 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. Down the stretch though the Matadors committed three consecutive turnovers, giving the Vandals an opportunity to go back in front.
Stevens would tie the game with 1:19 to play with a key 3-pointer before Jones answered again on the other end for an Idaho two-point lead. After Wright went 1-of-2 at the free throw line, the Matadors had an opportunity to take the lead with less than 20 seconds remianing but committed a costly turnover. Nigel Burris gave the Vandals a 76-73 lead at the free throw line before CSUN had one last opportunity to tie. On the final play, Bostick had a look from behind the 3-point arc but his shot went off the mark.
GAME NOTES
The Matadors (2-8) shot 49.1 percent for the game while they made 8-of-18 from 3-point range (44.4 percent) and 11-of-14 at the free throw line (78.6 percent). Idaho would shoot 48.0 percent from the floor and 92.0 percent at the free throw line (23-of-25). CSUN out-rebounded Idaho 34-23 and led in second chance points, 13-6. The Vandals though led in points off turnovers, 20-13.
Marcel Stevens poured in 12 points on 5-of-7 field goals in 20 minutes while Ethan Igbanugo added 11 points to go with 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. De'Sean Allen-Eikens collected a team-best 11 rebounds with six points. Fidelis Okereke posted eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.
For Idaho, Isaac Jones scored a game-high 29 points and registered 10 rebounds.
ACCORDING TO COACH TRENT JOHNSON
"Going in, we knew we were going to have to play really good defense. The decision we had to make was sometimes to double them off and double [Isaac Jones], sometimes not, and he made us pay. But we had 13 turnovers and four of them were in crucial times late in the second half. We've got to be better defensively. Offensively, we knew we were going to get good shots. Just defensively, I thought there were some breakdowns.
There are positives in a lot of it. We're getting close but close is not good enough. We only have one thing we can do. We can bounce back tomorrow and come out here and practice."
UP NEXT
CSUN closes non-conference play on Thursday with a matinee matchup with San Diego at 1 p.m. Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister have the call on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
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Team Stats
UI
CSUN
FG%
.480
.491
3FG%
.250
.444
FT%
.920
.786
RB
23
34
TO
8
13
STL
4
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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