CSUN Men's Basketball Returns Home to Face Bethesda

FULL GAME NOTES

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Basketball returns home for the start of a two-game homestand on Thursday night to take on Bethesda. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
All 16 CSUN home games this season will be broadcast on ESPN+ while each home and away game will have free audio broadcasts available to stream at GoMatadors.com/Radio or on the Varsity Network App. For road games, related links to video stream and live stats will be posted on the men's basketball schedule page at GoMatadors.com. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUN Men's Basketball team's official Twitter feed @CSUNMBB for updates of games in progress and news and notes. For the 11th-straight season, CSUN's broadcasting duo of Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister will call each Matador game in 2023-24.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
CSUN secured its third-straight road non-conference win for the first time since 1983-84 (Division II) with an 80-69 triumph at Pacific last Wednesday. De'Sean Allen-Eikens scored a career-high 32 points to lead the way while Jordan Brinson and Dionte Bostick had 12 apiece. The Matadors posted just their second-ever win at Pacific and the first since 2011. CSUN erased a one-point deficit at halftime with an early 12-1 run in the second period. Withstanding a pair of Tigers runs down the stretch, CSUN pulled away late behind Allen-Eikens who scored 22 second-half points.

The Matadors would lead for most of the day against Northern Colorado, but the Bears scored the final eight points of the game to win 75-71. Allen-Eikens once again led CSUN in scoring with 22 points and Bostick added 19. CSUN went scoreless over the final 3:43 but did have a chance to tie the game at the free throw line with 17 seconds left. Bostick made a free throw to appear to tie the game, but his shot was waved off due to a lane violation. A CSUN offensive foul on the next possession would be too much to overcome.

STARTING THINGS OFF WELL
CSUN holds a 5-3 record through eight games, marking the first time the team has a winning record at this stage of the season since 2020-21 (5-3 record as well). With a win on Thursday over Bethesda, CSUN would have its best nine-game start to a year since 2012-13 when that team began 7-2. Already this season, CSUN set a new Division I record by winning three consecutive road non-conference games.

RETURNERS LEADING THE WAY
Graduate De'Sean Allen-Eikens has already scored 20 or more points in four games while averaging a team-best 20.8 points. Allen-Eikens also shares the team lead in rebounds per game (6.6) and is shooting 53.7 percent from the floor. Junior guard Dionte Bostick is averaging 14.9 points and a team-high 1.8 steals per game to go with three 20-point efforts on the year. Senior center Dearon Tucker is third on the team in rebounding at 5.8 while averaging 7.0 points per game in the middle.

NEW FACES ON THE BLOCK
Junior Keonte Jones has emerged as a top scorer and rebounder in his first season at CSUN, averaging 12.3 points while sharing the team lead in rebounding (6.6). Jones has two double-doubles on the season and scored a season-high 17 points in a win over Mississippi Valley State. Up front, Jasman Sangha has also made a difference right away, averaging 8.0 points and producing five double-digit performances. Another key newcomer, guard Jordan Brinson has averaged 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in six games.

CSUN ON THE BIG WEST CHARTS
CSUN currently ranks first in The Big West in rebounds per game (43.5), defensive rebounds per game (30.4), rebounding margin (+13.5) and opponent field goal percentage (.400). The Matadors are also third in points per game (79.0) and steals per game (8.1). Nationally, CSUN is sixth in Division I men's basketball in rebounding margin and 16th in overall rebounds per game.

De'Sean Allen-Eikens enters play second in the conference in points per game (20.8) while his scoring average ranks 21st-best in the nation. Dionte Bostick is just outside the top-10 in The Big West in 11th place in scoring (14.9). Keonte Jones is third in the league in blocks per game (1.4) while he is tied with Allen-Eikens in fourth place in rebounding (6.6). Jared Barnett is fourth in the conference in assists per game (4.3) and Bostick is fourth on the steals list (1.8).

SCOUTING BETHESDA
Playing out of the National Christian College Athletic Association, Bethesda comes in with a 0-9 record this season. The Lion Angels suffered an 89-36 loss to Hope International on Tuesday. Bethesda has played one other Big West team this season, falling to UC Riverside 109-63. Last season, the Lion Angels went 7-22 overall. Jonathan Ileleji leads the team in scoring average at 20.1 points per game to go with 4.3 rebounds per game. Julio Lopez currently serves as interim head coach of the program.

Series History: CSUN is looking to snap a two-game skid to Bethesda. The Matadors would fall 82-80 in Dec. 2021 while Bethesda prevailed 100-95 in Dec. 2016. Overall, each side has won twice in the series, although CSUN's win in 2015 was later vacated.

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CSUN Men's Basketball Returns Home to Face Bethesda

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Players Mentioned

De'Sean Allen-Eikens

Jared Barnett

Dionte Bostick

Jordan Brinson

Keonte Jones

Jasman Sangha

Dearon Tucker

California State University Northridge Athletics