California State University at Northridge
UC Irvine
CSUN Takes On UC Irvine and UC San Diego Next
2/28/2024 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—CSUN Women's Basketball (2-25, 0-17 Big West) continues Big West play with two away games. The first will be against UC Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 29, at 6 p.m. The Matadors will then battle UC San Diego on Saturday, Mar. 2, at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
ABOUT LAST WEEK
The Matadors fell to UC Davis 58-54 on the road on Thursday. UC Davis opened the game with a 6-1 lead. Davis tried to pull ahead with another basket, but Laney Amundsen quickly fired back with a layup. The Aggies took off with an 11-2 run, but CSUN refused to fold as Adams made a jumper. Olivia Smith and Adams chipped away at the Aggies' progress as they turned the game into a 10-point difference at 31-21 at the end of the half.
The Matadors and Aggies traded shots through the third quarter, but UC Davis pulled ahead for a 45-27 lead. CSUN returned with a vengeance as Harvey opened the final quarter with a basket. The Aggies fired with their own baskets, but Talo Li-Uperesa, Spriggs, and Amundsen kept the shots coming as they began to close the distance to 51-37. The Aggies tried pulling away again, but Adams and Elsholz brought the game to a one-point difference of 55-54 with 18 seconds left in the game. The Aggies though held on by making three free throws.
CSUN then lost in the Premier America Credit Union Arena to Cal State Fullerton 75-57 on Saturday. The Matadors opened the game with a jumper by Erica Adams. The Titans quickly fired back, but Talo Li-Uperesa took back the lead with another jumper. Cal State Fullerton would strike again, but Spriggs would keep the baskets coming for CSUN as the game tied at 7-7. The Titans would keep the shots coming as they climbed to a 24-12 lead at the start of the second quarter. Arina Nikishina and Spriggs followed with their own baskets, but Cal State Fullerton didn't flinch as the Titans went on a 21-9 run to break open the game at the end of the first half.
Cal State Fullerton kept the ball rolling as the Titans went on a 7-0 run. Adams and Elsholz tried to disrupt them, but the Titans continued to climb to 59-30. Spriggs and Elsholz managed to get a few baskets of their own as they raised CSUN's score to 61-36. Harvey and Adams tried to do the same as they chipped away at the Titans as the third quarter closed at 65-40. The Matadors opened the final quarter with a jumper by Adams. Both teams would trade shots, but the Titans took the game as Harvey made one last jumper in the final five seconds.
SPRIGGS MANAGING THE BOARDS
Junior forward Kayanna Spriggs has topped CSUN in rebounding in 16 games this season as she has averaged 7.4 per game. Recently, Spriggs grabbed 16 rebounds on her own against Cal State Bakersfield. The very next game, she set a new career-high with 17 rebounds against Long Beach State. In both games she led in scoring with 15 and 11, respectively. Spriggs has pulled down double-figure rebounds in six games this season and collected four double-doubles. With the most recent game against Cal State Fullerton, Spriggs has collected 200 career rebounds, the most on the team. She also leads the team in scoring at 9.3 points while she leads the team in points per game in Big West play (10.2). On the year, Spriggs leads in most steals per game at 1.4.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPRESSION
Junior guard Erica Adams holds the third-highest scoring average for CSUN at 8.6 points this season. A Pacific transfer, Adams is shooting 35.2 percent while averaging 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Another new face this season, junior forward Talo Li-Uperesa is leading the team in blocks at 1.0 per game to go with averaging 7.4 points. Li-Uperesa, a transfer from the City of College of San Francisco, is shooting 42.3 percent in 30.7 minutes per game.
CSUN's true freshman Kaitlyn Elsholz has been a force in her first season with the Matadors. Elsholz, who was named Big West Player of the Week on Nov. 13, led CSUN in scoring against UC Santa Barbara with 21. More recently, Elsholz was tied for second on the team in scoring against Cal State Fullerton with 11 points. She is fourth on the team in scoring with 8.5 with 11 blocks on the year. Elsholz also leads for the most shots made from the 3-point range (37) on the team.
MATADORS ON THE BIG WEST CHARTS
Kayanna Spriggs is tied for fifth in The Big West in rebounds per game (7.4). Talo Li-Uperesa is fourth in the league in blocks per game (1.1). Kayanna Spriggs is tied for 15th in steals per game (1.4) and Kaitlyn Elsholz follows as she is tied in 18th (1.3). As a team, CSUN is second in The Big West in blocks per game (3.5), fifth in steals per game (8.9), and rises to fourth in rebounds per game (36.0).
SCOUTING UC IRVINE
The Anteaters have an overall record of 17-8 and a conference record of 12-4. UC Irvine comes off a 69-65 loss against UC San Diego. The Anteaters have four new players on the roster, three of whom are freshmen. Junior Deja Lee leads the team in scoring with 13.1 per game while graduate Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba is averaging 10.3 points. Senior Diaba Konate leads the team in steals per game (2.4) and assists per game (3.7). Senior Nevaeh Parkinson tops the team in rebounds per game (6.5) and blocks per game (0.7). Head coach Tamara Inoue is in her eighth season at the helm of the program.
Series History: CSUN leads the all-time series with 32 wins and 30 losses. The last time the Anteaters and Matadors battled, UC Irvine won 67-63. UC Irvine has a four-game winning streak against CSUN.
SCOUTING UC SAN DIEGO
The Tritons have an overall record of 11-16 and a conference record of 7-9. UC San Diego will take on Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday, Feb. 29, before competing against the Matadors. The Tritons have eight new players on the roster, four of whom are freshmen. Freshman Sumayah Sugapong leads the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game and assists (2.1). Junior Katie Springs leads in rebounds per game (7.3), steals (1.2), and blocks (0.6). The Tritons are led by head coach Heidi Vanderveer who is in her 12th season.
Series History: UC San Diego leads series history with 3-2. In the last meeting between the Matadors and Tritons, CSUN lost at home 53-52. The Tritons have a two-game win streak against CSUN.
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