CSUN Makes First-Ever Trip to Minnesota on Wednesday

FULL GAME NOTES

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Women's Basketball (2-2) returns to the road for a Wednesday evening meeting with Minnesota. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. PT on the Big Ten Plus.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
CSUN suffered two losses last week to fall to 2-2 on the season. The Matadors dropped a 71-39 decision at Santa Clara last Tuesday night before suffering a close 64-60 loss to Hope International on Saturday at Premier America Credit Union Arena.

CSUN got off to a slow start at Santa Clara with the Broncos racing out to a 17-0 lead. The Matadors would miss their first 13 shots of the game but managed to trim the deficit to 23-13 early in the second period. However, the Broncos took control down the stretch of the first half and never looked back in the double-digit victory. Freshmen Amiyah Ferguson and Kaitlyn Elsholz had seven apiece to lead the team offensively.

In contrast, the Matadors led for most of their game with Hope International, taking a 10-point lead in the second quarter. The Royals though chipped away at the lead, eventually catching CSUN midway through the fourth quarter. The Matadors could overcome shooting 2-for-14 from the floor in the fourth period as HIU took a 62-59 lead on a banked three and led the rest of the way. Ferguson would have 15 points for CSUN while Arina Nikishina scored a career-high 10 points.

FRESHMEN DUO LEADING OFFENSIVELY
CSUN's true freshmen duo of Kaitlyn Elsholz and Amiyah Ferguson have led the Matadors on the offensive end in all four games this season. Elsholz, who is scoring 13.8 points per game, has shared or led CSUN in scoring in three games while Ferguson has shared or paced the Matadors in the scoring department in three games. Elsholz was previously named Big West Player of the Week on Nov. 13 as she is ranked seventh in the conference in scoring. Ferguson is scoring at 11.0 points per game to go with averaging 4.5 assists, which ranks fourth-best in The Big West.

NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPRESSION
CSUN has also leaned on a pair of newcomers in the early going this season. Forward Talo Li-Uperesa, a transfer from the City College of San Francisco, has started all four games and is averaging 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the field. Erica Adams, a transfer from Pacific, has missed the last two games but has led CSUN in scoring at 15.0 points on 48.0 percent shooting. Adams has also averaged 3.0 steals per game.

SPRIGGS MANAGING THE BOARDS
Junior Kayanna Spriggs enters play this week ninth in The Big West in rebounds per game at 7.0. She has pulled down double figure rebounds in two games this season after previously accomplishing the feat just once in her career. Spriggs is also fifth in the conference in steals per game (2.3) while she averages 7.8 points per game. Now in her third season at CSUN, Spriggs is averaging 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Golden Gophers dropped to 3-1 on the season after a 62-44 loss to UConn. The team previously defeated Long Island (92-57), Chicago State (100-42) and North Dakota State (75-53). Last season, Minnesota went 11-19 and 4-14 in the Big 10 Conference for a 12th-place finish. Maura Braun, who earned Preseason All-Big Ten honors, has scored a team-high 18.8 points per game. Braun was also named to the Cheryl Miller Award watch list prior to the year. Freshman Grace Grocholski is second on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game while Mallory Heyer leads the team in rebounding at 8.3 per game. Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit is in her first season lead the Golden Gophers.

Series History: CSUN faces Minnesota for the first-ever time in women's basketball on Wednesday.

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CSUN Makes First-Ever Trip to Minnesota on Wednesday

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Players Mentioned

Erica Adams

Kaitlyn Elsholz

Amiyah Ferguson

Talo Li-Uperesa

Arina Nikishina

Kayanna Spriggs