Monday, November 6
Northridge, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Utah State
Photo by: Chuck Marvel
Women's Basketball Kicks Off 49th Season Hosting Utah State, Seattle U
11/3/2023 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Women's Basketball opens its 49th season with a pair of home games at Premier America Credit Union Arena. The Matadors host Utah State on opening night on Monday, Nov. 6 before taking on Seattle U on Thursday, Nov. 9. Both games will tip-off at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
HOW TO FOLLOW
All 16 CSUN home games this season will be broadcast on ESPN+. For road games, related links to video stream and live stats will be posted on the women's basketball schedule page at GoMatadors.com. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUN Women's Basketball team's official Twitter feed @CSUNWBB for updates of games in progress and news and notes. Jill Painter Lopez returns for her third season calling Matador games in 2023-24.
SEVEN MATADORS RETURN
CSUN sports a mix of returners and newcomers this season after the departures of all-conference players in Tess Amundsen and Jordyn Jackson. The Matadors bring back seven letterwinners from last year, three of which played in at least 30 games last season while all seven played at least 25 times.
Junior forward Kayanna Spriggs is the team's top returning scorer, averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds to go with shooting 53.3 percent and blocking a team-high 15 shots in 31 games last season. Ana Carolina De Jesus, a junior forward, also played every game last year while averaging 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds and shooting 40.2 percent. Laney Amundsen, another junior forward, saw action in 30 of 31 games a year ago and would total 56 points and 78 rebounds.
Other Matador returners looking for expanded roles this season include Rochelle Fourie, Arina Nikishina, Olivia Smith and Rachel Harvey. Fourie, a New Zealand import, made her return to the court last year and played 25 games after being away from the court for two seasons. Originally from Russia, Nikishina contributed off the bench last season and played in 20 games. Smith, a graduate forward, is a three-year letterwinner who played in 26 games and made three starts in 2022-23. Harvey, the team's only returning guard, has played in 56 career games and made 11 starts while totaling 91 points.Â
,
MITCHELL'S FIRST FRESHMAN CLASS
Entering her third season as CSUN head coach, Carlene Mitchell has recruited her first Matador freshman class this year. The four-member freshmen group bring a mix of size, scoring and quickness to this year's team.
Originally from Saint Stephen, S.C., Amiyah Ferguson collected a host of awards during her prep career at Timberland High School including earning a 2023 McDonald's All-American nomination as well as Region 7-2 AA Player of the Year and all-state accolades. Kaitlyn Elsholz, a 5-11 guard from Peoria, Ariz., also had a standout high school career at Sandra Day O'Connor High School where she garnered first-team all-region honors and all-league awards.
A pair of California products in Alondra Lizama and Jordan Hayden round out the true freshmen on the team. Lizama, a 5-10 forward from North Hollywood, had a standout career at Bishop Alemany High School where she won the CIF title in 2021 while Hayden, a Moorpark native, prepped at Agoura High School and won a league championship in her career.
NEWCOMERS BRING EXPERIENCE
CSUN had also added two transfers to round out a six-member recruiting class. A 5-10 guard from Oakland, Erica Adams brings Division I experience gained at Pacific from 2020-23. She played in 66 games and made 35 starts, averaging 4.9 points and 2.1 rebounds to go with 37.0 percent shooting from 3-point range. Talo Li-Uperesa, a 5-11 forward from San Francisco, lettered two seasons at the City College of San Francisco. Li-Uperesa would average 20.6 points and 8.1 rebounds en route to earning Coast Conference North Division MVP honors and second-team all-state recognition.
SEASON REWIND
CSUN would finish 7-24 overall last season with a 6-14 Big West record. The Matadors would fall in the first round of the Big West Championship in heartbreaking fashion for the second-straight year. After losing in overtime two seasons ago at the tournament, CSUN led by seven points with over five-plus minutes remaining last March but Cal State Bakersfield rode a 13-3 run to end the game for a 55-52 win.
Playing in close games was a common occurrence last season as the Matadors played in 20 games that were decided by 10 points or fewer (7-13 record). Among the team's highlights during the year, CSUN went 3-0 to start Big West play for just the fourth time since joining the conference in 2001.
NEW LOOK ON THE BENCH
Over the offseason, head coach Carlene Mitchell brought aboard two new assistant coaches to help lead the team. Trevor Olson joins the Matadors after spending the past six seasons at his alma mater the University of San Diego. In his tenure at USD, Olson helped the program reach the conference championship game twice. Also on the bench is Advit Raghavan who spent the last two seasons at Southern Utah as director of operations. Raghavan would play a hand in the Thunderbirds winning the WAC title and clinch their first berth in the NCAA Tournament. Returning to the bench this season under Mitchell is Kiaye' White who enters her second season with the Matadors as an assistant coach.
SCOUTING UTAH STATE
The Aggies are coming off a 4-26 season and 1-17 finish in the Mountain West Conference. Utah State was picked to finish 11th in the Mountain West this season by the league's head coaches and members of the media. The team brings a mostly brand new squad to the court this season with 12 newcomers and just three returners. Five of the team's 12 new faces are Division I transfers including former Matador Macy Smith. Among the team's returners is Isabella Tanedo who played in 27 games and averaged 8.3 minutes per game in 2022-23. Head coach Kayla Ard is in her fourth season with the program.
Utah State leads CSUN 4-1 in the all-time series. The teams most recently played on Nov. 30, 2013 in Northridge with the Aggies winning 75-67. CSUN's only win in the series came in 2005 by a 63-52 margin.
SCOUTING SEATTLE U
The Redhawks posted a 6-24 overall record and 5-13 mark in the WAC last season. After finishing 11th last season in the WAC, Seattle U was picked to finish in that spot again this year by the league's head coaches. Seattle U returns most of its team from last year with only two newcomers on a 13-member roster. Peyton Howard is the team's top returning scorer, averaging 10.3 points to go with 2.7 assists and 49 steals. The team is led by first-year head coach Skyler Young.
The Matadors lead Seattle U 4-2 in the all-time series with wins in three-straight contests. The teams squared off last season in a shootout in Seattle as CSUN outlasted the Redhawks 97-90. The Matadors have not hosted Seattle U since Dec. 2017.
#GoMatadors
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Women's Basketball opens its 49th season with a pair of home games at Premier America Credit Union Arena. The Matadors host Utah State on opening night on Monday, Nov. 6 before taking on Seattle U on Thursday, Nov. 9. Both games will tip-off at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
HOW TO FOLLOW
All 16 CSUN home games this season will be broadcast on ESPN+. For road games, related links to video stream and live stats will be posted on the women's basketball schedule page at GoMatadors.com. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUN Women's Basketball team's official Twitter feed @CSUNWBB for updates of games in progress and news and notes. Jill Painter Lopez returns for her third season calling Matador games in 2023-24.
SEVEN MATADORS RETURN
CSUN sports a mix of returners and newcomers this season after the departures of all-conference players in Tess Amundsen and Jordyn Jackson. The Matadors bring back seven letterwinners from last year, three of which played in at least 30 games last season while all seven played at least 25 times.
Junior forward Kayanna Spriggs is the team's top returning scorer, averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds to go with shooting 53.3 percent and blocking a team-high 15 shots in 31 games last season. Ana Carolina De Jesus, a junior forward, also played every game last year while averaging 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds and shooting 40.2 percent. Laney Amundsen, another junior forward, saw action in 30 of 31 games a year ago and would total 56 points and 78 rebounds.
Other Matador returners looking for expanded roles this season include Rochelle Fourie, Arina Nikishina, Olivia Smith and Rachel Harvey. Fourie, a New Zealand import, made her return to the court last year and played 25 games after being away from the court for two seasons. Originally from Russia, Nikishina contributed off the bench last season and played in 20 games. Smith, a graduate forward, is a three-year letterwinner who played in 26 games and made three starts in 2022-23. Harvey, the team's only returning guard, has played in 56 career games and made 11 starts while totaling 91 points.Â
,
MITCHELL'S FIRST FRESHMAN CLASS
Entering her third season as CSUN head coach, Carlene Mitchell has recruited her first Matador freshman class this year. The four-member freshmen group bring a mix of size, scoring and quickness to this year's team.
Originally from Saint Stephen, S.C., Amiyah Ferguson collected a host of awards during her prep career at Timberland High School including earning a 2023 McDonald's All-American nomination as well as Region 7-2 AA Player of the Year and all-state accolades. Kaitlyn Elsholz, a 5-11 guard from Peoria, Ariz., also had a standout high school career at Sandra Day O'Connor High School where she garnered first-team all-region honors and all-league awards.
A pair of California products in Alondra Lizama and Jordan Hayden round out the true freshmen on the team. Lizama, a 5-10 forward from North Hollywood, had a standout career at Bishop Alemany High School where she won the CIF title in 2021 while Hayden, a Moorpark native, prepped at Agoura High School and won a league championship in her career.
NEWCOMERS BRING EXPERIENCE
CSUN had also added two transfers to round out a six-member recruiting class. A 5-10 guard from Oakland, Erica Adams brings Division I experience gained at Pacific from 2020-23. She played in 66 games and made 35 starts, averaging 4.9 points and 2.1 rebounds to go with 37.0 percent shooting from 3-point range. Talo Li-Uperesa, a 5-11 forward from San Francisco, lettered two seasons at the City College of San Francisco. Li-Uperesa would average 20.6 points and 8.1 rebounds en route to earning Coast Conference North Division MVP honors and second-team all-state recognition.
SEASON REWIND
CSUN would finish 7-24 overall last season with a 6-14 Big West record. The Matadors would fall in the first round of the Big West Championship in heartbreaking fashion for the second-straight year. After losing in overtime two seasons ago at the tournament, CSUN led by seven points with over five-plus minutes remaining last March but Cal State Bakersfield rode a 13-3 run to end the game for a 55-52 win.
Playing in close games was a common occurrence last season as the Matadors played in 20 games that were decided by 10 points or fewer (7-13 record). Among the team's highlights during the year, CSUN went 3-0 to start Big West play for just the fourth time since joining the conference in 2001.
NEW LOOK ON THE BENCH
Over the offseason, head coach Carlene Mitchell brought aboard two new assistant coaches to help lead the team. Trevor Olson joins the Matadors after spending the past six seasons at his alma mater the University of San Diego. In his tenure at USD, Olson helped the program reach the conference championship game twice. Also on the bench is Advit Raghavan who spent the last two seasons at Southern Utah as director of operations. Raghavan would play a hand in the Thunderbirds winning the WAC title and clinch their first berth in the NCAA Tournament. Returning to the bench this season under Mitchell is Kiaye' White who enters her second season with the Matadors as an assistant coach.
SCOUTING UTAH STATE
The Aggies are coming off a 4-26 season and 1-17 finish in the Mountain West Conference. Utah State was picked to finish 11th in the Mountain West this season by the league's head coaches and members of the media. The team brings a mostly brand new squad to the court this season with 12 newcomers and just three returners. Five of the team's 12 new faces are Division I transfers including former Matador Macy Smith. Among the team's returners is Isabella Tanedo who played in 27 games and averaged 8.3 minutes per game in 2022-23. Head coach Kayla Ard is in her fourth season with the program.
Utah State leads CSUN 4-1 in the all-time series. The teams most recently played on Nov. 30, 2013 in Northridge with the Aggies winning 75-67. CSUN's only win in the series came in 2005 by a 63-52 margin.
SCOUTING SEATTLE U
The Redhawks posted a 6-24 overall record and 5-13 mark in the WAC last season. After finishing 11th last season in the WAC, Seattle U was picked to finish in that spot again this year by the league's head coaches. Seattle U returns most of its team from last year with only two newcomers on a 13-member roster. Peyton Howard is the team's top returning scorer, averaging 10.3 points to go with 2.7 assists and 49 steals. The team is led by first-year head coach Skyler Young.
The Matadors lead Seattle U 4-2 in the all-time series with wins in three-straight contests. The teams squared off last season in a shootout in Seattle as CSUN outlasted the Redhawks 97-90. The Matadors have not hosted Seattle U since Dec. 2017.
#GoMatadors
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