Matadors Travel To Long Beach State & Cal State Fullerton This Week

Women's Basketball Notebook

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN heads back out on the road this week for a pair of games at Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton.

Thursday night will see the Matadors (8-13, 4-7 Big West) travel to Long Beach State with the action getting underway at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Long Beach State fell into a tie for second place with UC Irvine in the Big West with a 9-3 record after dropping a 72-64 decision to Hawai'i on Saturday at home. The Beach are 16-4 overall.

Maddi Utti posted a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds against the Rainbow Wahine. A three-time Big West Player of the Week, Utti is averaging 17.5 points in conference-only games and 14.5 points per game overall. Utti is the league leader in steals (3.4) and is second in rebounding (8.9). Justina King leads the Big West in assists (4.8) and is 10th in scoring (12.2). King and Utti are tied for second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7).

The Matadors defeated Long Beach State 64-50 Jan. 15 in Northridge. The Beach lead the all-time series 43-21.

CSUN travels to Cal State Fullerton Saturday night for a 6 p.m. matchup. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. The Titans have lost four in a row entering a Feb. 17 game against UC Santa Barbara at home. Cal State Fullerton is 8-13 overall, 3-8 in Big West play.

Lily Wahinekapu is third in the Big West in scoring (14.7), third in assists (4.2), sixth in free throw shooting (77.9), and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3). Cal State Fullerton defeated 65-50 Jan. 13 in Northridge. The all-time series is now tied at 29.

The Matadors went 1-1 last week in a pair of one-point games. Julia Neilanca's layup with 12.9 seconds remaining turned back a furious CSUN rally from a 20-point halftime deficit as the Mustangs defeated the Matadors 56-55 last Thursday in the Matadome.

Kayanna Spriggs' three-point play with 1:42 remaining earned CSUN its first lead since the first quarter. With 16 seconds remaining Cal Poly called timeout. Maddie Vick received the inbounds pass and found Nielacna cutting to the basket for what proved to be the game-winning basket. The Matadors called timeout to advance the ball. Jordyn Jackson would attempt the go-ahead field goal attempt, but her jumper missed as time expired.

Jackson and Tess Amundsen led the Matadors with 15 points. Jackson added six rebounds and three steals. Anaiyah Tu'ua scored 10 points for CSUN.

Jackson sank a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining to give CSUN a 53-52 victory over CSU Bakersfield. The Matadors charged out of halftime and tied the score at 25 2:25 into the third period. The score would be tied on two other occasions during the stanza with CSUB coming away with a 41-38 lead after three periods of play. The opening portion of the fourth period saw the Matadors tie the score at 44 on a Sydney Woodley steal and fast break layup. Three free throws from Jayden Eggleston pushed the 'Runners up 47-44 before Jackson tied the game with a three-pointer at 4:42.

Amundsen put CSUN ahead 49-47 with just over two minutes to play. Vanessa Austin converted a three-point play to put the Roadrunners ahead by one at 1:59. The Matadors worked the ball inside to Amundsen who missed a layup. Spriggs grabbed the rebound and went back up and missed a layup. Jackson grabbed the rebound, but the Matadors would be called for a shot clock violation.

CSUB drained 25 seconds off the clock before Tatlyanna Clayburne missed a three-pointer that was rebounded by Rachel Harvey. Jackson returned the lead to the Matadors at the 54-second mark with a fast break pull-up jumper. Austin pushed the 'Runners back in front with a layup on the ensuing CSUB possession.

A timeout was called by CSUN. The Matadors put the ball into Jackson's hands, and she drove the lane where she was fouled. Jackson made both attempts which resulted in a Roadrunner timeout.

As the week gets underway, Woodley is up to ninth in Division I in steals per game (3.1). Woodley is 16th in Division I in steals with 65. She is now tied for the fifth-most in school history in a season (LaShaunda Fowler, 2000-01). CSUN is second in the Big West and 19th in Division I in steals per game (11.1). The 233 steals that the Matadors have posted are 40th in Division I.

~#UniteTheValley~

Matadors Travel To Long Beach State & Cal State Fullerton This Week

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Players Mentioned

Tess Amundsen

Rachel Harvey

Jordyn Jackson

Kayanna Spriggs

Anaiyah Tu'ua

Sydney Woodley