CSUN Drops Heartbreaker at Northern Colorado, 75-71

Saturday, December 2

Greeley, Colo.

1:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

5-3,0-0Big West

Northern Colorado

4-4,0-0Big Sky

CSUN

Northern Colo.

Photo by: Connor Clark

CSUN Drops Heartbreaker at Northern Colorado, 75-71

12/2/2023 3:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

GREELEY, Colo.---CSUN Men's Basketball dropped a 75-71 decision at Northern Colorado on Saturday at the Bank of Colorado Arena. De'Sean Allen-Eikens scored a team-high 22 points to go with nine rebounds while Dionte Bostick added 19 and Keonte Jones finished with 12. The Matadors held a four-point lead with under four minutes to play but the Bears scored the final eight points to pick up the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bears jumped out to an 8-4 lead behind a pair of threes, but CSUN chipped away at the deficit and eventually evened the game at 12-12 on a Bryan Ndjonga 3-pointer. De'Sean Allen-Eikens put the Matadors on top on a three at 19-18 before the Bears scored the next five points. CSUN would trail 31-28 with 2:34 left to play but turned it around with an 8-0 run, capped by an acrobatic reverse layup from Jordan Brinson. Northern Colorado though closed the first half with a late basket from Saint Thomas to trim the CSUN lead to 36-33.

Starting to take over. Again.@DeseanEikens is up to 13 points in the first half after this beautiful and-one.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/zXF32MzEnL
— CSUN Men's Basketball (@CSUNMBB) December 2, 2023

Out of intermission, the Matadors picked up an early three from Dionte Bostick to stake to a six-point lead. CSUN would maintain its lead until Langston Reynolds tied the game at 48-48 with a free throw. Jared Barnett though nailed a three then Bostick followed with a layup moments later for 53-48 lead.

Just like we drew it up. ??@_jaredbarnett puts CSUN back on top, 51-48.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/5I0QacZBdz
— CSUN Men's Basketball (@CSUNMBB) December 2, 2023

Each side would trade baskets as Northern Colorado tied the game on three separate occasions before Bostick gave CSUN breathing room with a layup for a 61-57 lead. The Matadors took a 71-67 lead on a three-point play from Allen-Eikens with 3:43 left to play but CSUN would not score the rest of the way.

Reynolds hit a three then made 1-of-2 at the free throw line to even the game with two minutes left. CSUN committed a costly turnover on a Bostick offensive foul on the next possession then Thomas made a free throw to give the Bears a 72-71 lead. The Matadors looked as though they had tied the game with 17 seconds remaining when Bostick was fouled and made a free throw, but the basket was waived off on a CSUN lane violation. The Bears split free throws once more, but CSUN committed another offensive foul on a dribble hand off pass moments later. Thomas sealed the game with two free throws in the final seconds.

NOTES OF THE GAME

CSUN falls to 5-3 on the season while Northern Colorado improves to 4-4.
The Matadors shot 41.5 percent from the field while making 7-of-21 from three (33.3 percent) and 10-of-14 from the free throw line (71.4 percent). On the flip side, the Bears finished with a 39.4 field goal percentage to go with 9-of-31 shooting from three (29.0 percent) and 14-of-23 shooting at the free throw line (60.9 percent).
CSUN would out-rebound UNC 47-39 while the Bears led in points off turnovers, 22-8.
There were nine lead changes and 11 ties in the game.
Dionte Bostick made 3-of-6 shots from three and 8-of-17 from the floor. De'Sean Allen-Eikens would go 7-of-16 from the field and 7-of-8 at the free throw line.
Keonte Jones added three blocks and four steals to go with his 12 points.

ACCORDING TO COACH ANDY NEWMAN
"We just didn't earn it. We had a bad first half, didn't play our brand of basketball and it came back to bite us. We were still in it and gave it a great fight, but we just got to convert down the stretch."

UP NEXT
CSUN returns home for a two-game homestand starting Thursday, Dec. 7 against Bethesda. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister have the call on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio.

#GoMatadors