Sunday, December 4
Northridge, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
2-5,0-0Big West
101
vs
42
Whittier
2-2,0-1SCIAC
1
2
F
Whittier
18
24
42
CSUN
49
52
101
Photo by: Cassandra Elena Yra
CSUN Sets a School D-1 Record for Least Points Allowed in Win Over Whittier
12/4/2022 4:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Basketball got back into the win column with a 101-42 victory over Whittier (Division III) on Sunday afternoon at Premier America Credit Union Arena. De'Sean Allen-Eikens scored a game-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting while Dionte Bostick added 13 points and four assists. Arman Pezeshkian and Cam Slaymaker had a career-high 10 points apiece while Dearon Tucker added 10 points as well. CSUN set a school record for least amount of points allowed as a Division I member in the contest.
The Matadors held the Poets off the scoreboard for the first three-plus minutes while making three early 3-point baskets to stake to a 9-0 lead. Allen-Eikens soon made it a double digit lead with a field goal off a Bostick steal. CSUN's defense was strong throughout the night, holding Whittier to below 30 percent shooting in each half.
Later in the first half, the Matadors went on a 17-2 run that extended the lead to 26-4 with 8:23 on the clock. CSUN would spread the wealth throughout the first half as well as nine players reached the scoring column. After Slaymaker drained a 3-pointer near the four-minute mark, John Wade III connected on a mid-range shot to give CSUN a 41-11 edge. Tucker scored six-straight CSUN points late in the half before Pezeshkian scored on the final possession to put the Matadors ahead 49-18 at intermission.
After an early basket from Whittier, the Matadors went on a 9-0 run, capped by a layup from Allen-Eikens. CSUN would extend the lead to 40 points when Lamine Niang scored on a putback layup.
Pezeshkian found his scoring touch off the bench near the midway mark of the second half, scoring back-to-back jumpers before finding Niang for a layup. The 5-11 guard would then bury another mid-range jumper at the 9:13 mark to extend the lead further. CSUN went on another 8-0 run under the five-minute mark before building its biggest lead of the night of 61 points on a Slaymaker drive in the lane.
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GAME NOTES
CSUN shot 53.5 percent from the field while making 10-of-26 from 3-point range (38.5 percent) and 15-of-18 at the free throw line (83.3 percent). Whittier shot 23.8 percent for the game and finished 4-of-25 from long range (16.0 percent). CSUN out-rebounded Whittier 50-34 and posted a 52-12 edge in points in the paint. The Matadors also led 50-14 in bench points.
Overall, CSUN allowed the fourth-lowest point total in school history on Sunday. The team previously allowed as little as 42 points on Feb. 19, 1983 as a Division II member against Cal Poly. The Matadors cracked 100 points for the first time in a game since scoring 109 against Saint Katherine on Jan. 4, 2020.
John Wade III led the Matadors with eight rebounds to go with seven points, four assists and three steals. Fidelis Okereke and Lamine Niang had seven rebounds off the bench. Marcel Stevens posted nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range.
For Whittier, Jude Agbasi had a team-high 12 points.
ACCORDING TO COACH TRENT JOHNSON
"Not surprising in terms of what happened this afternoon. No disrespect to Whittier, we were bigger, faster and quicker, but we didn't take any possessions off. One of the things we harped on the last couple of days in practice was we've got to develop an identity and what we want to play. It's not good enough to play really hard versus Boise State. It's not good enough to play really hard against Cal Baptist. So for me, it was nice to see us come out here and [see] everybody compete at a high level. Defense and rebounding is important.
Arman does an excellent job of every day coming out and competing. He's a scout team guy. He's an ultimate team basketball player."
UP NEXT
CSUN hits the road for the final time in non-conference play for a midweek clash with Fresno State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will stream on the Mountain West Network while Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister have the call on GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
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The Matadors held the Poets off the scoreboard for the first three-plus minutes while making three early 3-point baskets to stake to a 9-0 lead. Allen-Eikens soon made it a double digit lead with a field goal off a Bostick steal. CSUN's defense was strong throughout the night, holding Whittier to below 30 percent shooting in each half.
Later in the first half, the Matadors went on a 17-2 run that extended the lead to 26-4 with 8:23 on the clock. CSUN would spread the wealth throughout the first half as well as nine players reached the scoring column. After Slaymaker drained a 3-pointer near the four-minute mark, John Wade III connected on a mid-range shot to give CSUN a 41-11 edge. Tucker scored six-straight CSUN points late in the half before Pezeshkian scored on the final possession to put the Matadors ahead 49-18 at intermission.
After an early basket from Whittier, the Matadors went on a 9-0 run, capped by a layup from Allen-Eikens. CSUN would extend the lead to 40 points when Lamine Niang scored on a putback layup.
Pezeshkian found his scoring touch off the bench near the midway mark of the second half, scoring back-to-back jumpers before finding Niang for a layup. The 5-11 guard would then bury another mid-range jumper at the 9:13 mark to extend the lead further. CSUN went on another 8-0 run under the five-minute mark before building its biggest lead of the night of 61 points on a Slaymaker drive in the lane.
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GAME NOTES
CSUN shot 53.5 percent from the field while making 10-of-26 from 3-point range (38.5 percent) and 15-of-18 at the free throw line (83.3 percent). Whittier shot 23.8 percent for the game and finished 4-of-25 from long range (16.0 percent). CSUN out-rebounded Whittier 50-34 and posted a 52-12 edge in points in the paint. The Matadors also led 50-14 in bench points.
Overall, CSUN allowed the fourth-lowest point total in school history on Sunday. The team previously allowed as little as 42 points on Feb. 19, 1983 as a Division II member against Cal Poly. The Matadors cracked 100 points for the first time in a game since scoring 109 against Saint Katherine on Jan. 4, 2020.
John Wade III led the Matadors with eight rebounds to go with seven points, four assists and three steals. Fidelis Okereke and Lamine Niang had seven rebounds off the bench. Marcel Stevens posted nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range.
For Whittier, Jude Agbasi had a team-high 12 points.
ACCORDING TO COACH TRENT JOHNSON
"Not surprising in terms of what happened this afternoon. No disrespect to Whittier, we were bigger, faster and quicker, but we didn't take any possessions off. One of the things we harped on the last couple of days in practice was we've got to develop an identity and what we want to play. It's not good enough to play really hard versus Boise State. It's not good enough to play really hard against Cal Baptist. So for me, it was nice to see us come out here and [see] everybody compete at a high level. Defense and rebounding is important.
Arman does an excellent job of every day coming out and competing. He's a scout team guy. He's an ultimate team basketball player."
UP NEXT
CSUN hits the road for the final time in non-conference play for a midweek clash with Fresno State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will stream on the Mountain West Network while Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister have the call on GoMatadors.com/Radio.
#UniteTheValley
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Team Stats
Whitt
CSUN
FG%
.238
.535
3FG%
.160
.385
FT%
.727
.833
RB
34
50
TO
17
8
STL
5
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
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