Tuesday, March 7
Henderson, Nev.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
7-25,4-16Big West
47
vs
51
CSU Bakersfield
11-21,6-14Big West
1
2
F
CSUN
26
21
47
CSU Bakersfield
24
27
51
Matadors Drop Heartbreaker to CSUB at Big West Championship
3/7/2023 9:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HENDERSON, Nev.---CSUN Men's Basketball dropped a tight 51-47 decision to CSU Bakersfield in a first-round game at the Big West Championship on Tuesday inside the Dollar Loan Center. De'Sean Allen-Eikens scored a team-high 15 points while Atin Wright added 10 points and three steals. The Matadors evened the game with three minutes to play but the Roadrunners finished the game on a 7-3 run to close out the win.
CSUN trailed for most of the first half as the Matadors dug an early 13-6 hole with just under seven minutes gone by in the first half. The Matadors though began to chip away at the lead beginning with a Wright jumper. Allen-Eikens and Ethan Igbanugo both hit baskets near the nine minute-mark of the first period before Cam Slaymaker scored five consecutive points to cut the deficit to 21-19. CSUN kept the 'Runners out of the scoring column for a three-minute stretch while the Matadors finally evened the game up at 21-21 after two free throws from Igbanugo.
Ivan Reynolds gave CSU Bakersfield a 24-21 lead with 3:40 on clock but it would be the last field goal of the first half for the Roadrunners. Allen-Eikens knocked down a jumper then Wright split two at the free throw line to even the contest once more. Late in the half, Slaymaker worked his way to the free throw line and made both to give CSUN its first lead of the night. The Matadors withstood a late jumper from Antavion Collumn to take a 26-24 lead into halftime.
The second half would be a defensive struggle with neither team able to shoot above 33 percent from the floor. After Travis Hensen gave the Roadrunners the lead on a three, CSUN scored the next seven points, highlighted by a Wright three, to take its biggest lead of the game at 33-27. The Matadors would hold a five-point edge near the 16-minute mark of the second half, but Roadrunners scored the six consecutive points, capped by a Collum basket in the lane. CSUN though pulled back in front when Johnnie Walter scored on a putback, and again on a Marcel Stevens 3-pointer.
Down the stretch of the game, points would be hard to come by as each side wore down the other on the defensive end. Both teams would have five-minute stretches without a field goal. Naseem Gaskin broke the Roadrunners' dry spell with a basket with 4:07 to play to put his team in front. Moments later, CSUN picked up a steal leading to an Igbanugo basket that ended CSUN's five-minute drought without a field goal.
The Matadors trailed 46-45 with less than two minutes to play when Dearon Tucker picked up a block on the defensive end. Igbanugo had a look from three on the ensuing possession, but his shot rimmed out. CSUB made four free throws in the last minute to take a three-point lead into the final CSUN possession with 20 seconds to go. On that possession, Slaymaker missed a mid-range shot while the Roadrunners controlled the rebound. A free throw in the final second of play from Reynolds clinched the game.
GAME NOTES
CSUN shot 31.8 percent for the game while the Matadors made 3-of-16 from the 3-point line (18.8 percent) and 16-of-18 at the free throw line (88.9 percent). Bakersfield finished shooting 32.1 percent to go with 3-of-15 shooting from three (20.0 percent) and 14-of-18 shooting at the free throw line (77.8 percent). On the glass, CSUB held a narrow 32-29 edge.
Tuesday's contest represented the final game for the Matadors' three member senior class of Ethan Igbanugo, Onyi Eyisi and Arman Pezeshkian. Igbanugo finished with eight points and two assists while Eyisi had five rebounds and two points in the game. Pezeshkian did not play.
For CSUB, Antavion Collum had a game-high 16 points.
ACCORDING TO COACH TRENT JOHNSON
"I thought it was a hard fought game. I thought they wore us down. Obviously, we had some guys that were injured and it sort of took its toll. You have to tip your hat to [Rod Barnes'] team. They competed at a high level and they made the necessary plays down the stretch to win the game.
We're building something and it's not going to happen overnight. That's a very disappointed locker room. We don't concern ourselves with everybody else's expectations. We were picked to finish last in this league. When you look at the amount of guys that were injured during the course of league [play], you have to tip your hat to their ability to come out every day and compete. There were a lot of close games in non-conference. There were a lot of close games in conference that could have gone either way."
#GoMatadors
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CSUN trailed for most of the first half as the Matadors dug an early 13-6 hole with just under seven minutes gone by in the first half. The Matadors though began to chip away at the lead beginning with a Wright jumper. Allen-Eikens and Ethan Igbanugo both hit baskets near the nine minute-mark of the first period before Cam Slaymaker scored five consecutive points to cut the deficit to 21-19. CSUN kept the 'Runners out of the scoring column for a three-minute stretch while the Matadors finally evened the game up at 21-21 after two free throws from Igbanugo.
Ivan Reynolds gave CSU Bakersfield a 24-21 lead with 3:40 on clock but it would be the last field goal of the first half for the Roadrunners. Allen-Eikens knocked down a jumper then Wright split two at the free throw line to even the contest once more. Late in the half, Slaymaker worked his way to the free throw line and made both to give CSUN its first lead of the night. The Matadors withstood a late jumper from Antavion Collumn to take a 26-24 lead into halftime.
The second half would be a defensive struggle with neither team able to shoot above 33 percent from the floor. After Travis Hensen gave the Roadrunners the lead on a three, CSUN scored the next seven points, highlighted by a Wright three, to take its biggest lead of the game at 33-27. The Matadors would hold a five-point edge near the 16-minute mark of the second half, but Roadrunners scored the six consecutive points, capped by a Collum basket in the lane. CSUN though pulled back in front when Johnnie Walter scored on a putback, and again on a Marcel Stevens 3-pointer.
Down the stretch of the game, points would be hard to come by as each side wore down the other on the defensive end. Both teams would have five-minute stretches without a field goal. Naseem Gaskin broke the Roadrunners' dry spell with a basket with 4:07 to play to put his team in front. Moments later, CSUN picked up a steal leading to an Igbanugo basket that ended CSUN's five-minute drought without a field goal.
The Matadors trailed 46-45 with less than two minutes to play when Dearon Tucker picked up a block on the defensive end. Igbanugo had a look from three on the ensuing possession, but his shot rimmed out. CSUB made four free throws in the last minute to take a three-point lead into the final CSUN possession with 20 seconds to go. On that possession, Slaymaker missed a mid-range shot while the Roadrunners controlled the rebound. A free throw in the final second of play from Reynolds clinched the game.
GAME NOTES
CSUN shot 31.8 percent for the game while the Matadors made 3-of-16 from the 3-point line (18.8 percent) and 16-of-18 at the free throw line (88.9 percent). Bakersfield finished shooting 32.1 percent to go with 3-of-15 shooting from three (20.0 percent) and 14-of-18 shooting at the free throw line (77.8 percent). On the glass, CSUB held a narrow 32-29 edge.
Tuesday's contest represented the final game for the Matadors' three member senior class of Ethan Igbanugo, Onyi Eyisi and Arman Pezeshkian. Igbanugo finished with eight points and two assists while Eyisi had five rebounds and two points in the game. Pezeshkian did not play.
For CSUB, Antavion Collum had a game-high 16 points.
ACCORDING TO COACH TRENT JOHNSON
"I thought it was a hard fought game. I thought they wore us down. Obviously, we had some guys that were injured and it sort of took its toll. You have to tip your hat to [Rod Barnes'] team. They competed at a high level and they made the necessary plays down the stretch to win the game.
We're building something and it's not going to happen overnight. That's a very disappointed locker room. We don't concern ourselves with everybody else's expectations. We were picked to finish last in this league. When you look at the amount of guys that were injured during the course of league [play], you have to tip your hat to their ability to come out every day and compete. There were a lot of close games in non-conference. There were a lot of close games in conference that could have gone either way."
#GoMatadors
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Team Stats
CSUN
CSUB
FG%
.318
.321
3FG%
.188
.200
FT%
.889
.778
RB
29
32
TO
15
11
STL
6
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
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