CSUN Hosts Matinee Against UCSB Thursday, Travels to Bakersfield Saturday

Game Notes
NORTHRIDGE, Calif -- CSUN Women's Basketball (3-15, 1-8 Big West) will once again continue Big West play this week, hosting UC Santa Barbara Thursday morning before taking its talent to the road against Cal State Bakersfield Saturday afternoon. Thursday's game will be at 11:00 a.m. at Premier America Credit Union Arena. Saturday's road game will tip-off at 2:00 p.m. Both games will be live-streamed on ESPN+.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
CSUN fell 88-75 to Long Beach State, Thursday night at The Gold Mine. Five different Matador players scored in double figures as Kelly Tumlin and Nnenna Orji both led with 13 points. Erika Aspajo had 11, and both Morgan Edwards and Jenna Kilty had 10 for the Matadors. The Matadors carried a 13 point halftime lead before the Beach stormed back with a hot second half to take the victory.

On Saturday afternoon, CSUN hosted UC San Diego at Premier America Credit Union Arena. The Matadors were defeated by the Tritons, by a score of 82-44. Orji led all CSUN scorers with 11 points. Aspajo was the second leading scorer for the Matadors with eight points.

MORGAN EDWARDS LEADING THE WAY
Morgan Edwards is the only Matador player to appear in and start every game so far this season. The junior from Los Angeles is averaging 9.1 PPG on the campaign. Edwards is second on the squad in three-point percentage at 36% from behind the arc. She is also fifth on the team in rebounding at 3.5 per contest. Edwards is an all-around player, as she's even third on the team in assists at 1.2 per game.

OFFENSE RUNNING THROUGH THE SPANIARD
Erika Aspajo has been the focal point of the offensive schemes so far this season. The junior from Barcelona is number one on the team and number one in the Big West in assists per game at 4.9 per contest. Aspajo is also leading the team in points per game as well at 10.9. That mark is good enough for 12th in the Big West. Aspajo also has the top four highest assisted games so far this season in the Big West. Her nine assists versus Idaho are the most by any player in the conference so far this season. She also is a consistent mainstay on the court. Aspajo has had eight games where she has played 30 minutes or more, the most on the team.

LONG DISTANCE CALLS
CSUN currently ranks third in the Big West with seven threes per contest. Five Matador players have double-digit threes on the year. Jenna Kilty has 32 while Morgan Edwards and Kelly Tumlin both have 26, Laini Dahlin has 14 and freshman Karsen Marshall has 11. 10 of the 12 Matadors players have knocked down a shot from behind the arc this season. Kilty leads the squad in three-point percentage at 40% from downtown. CSUN has made a total of 126 three- point baskets on the season.

GETTING IT DONE FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
The Matadors currently rank fifth in the Big West in free-throw percentage at 72%. Adams is leading the pack by shooting 83.8%. Kayla Hopson is shooting 83% while Erika Aspajo is shooting 82%. Eight different Matador players are shooting above 70% from the charity stripe.

ENOUGH REBOUNDS TO GO AROUND
CSUN currently ranks third in the Big West in rebounds per game at 38.6. Yves Cox, a freshman, ranks first on the team in rebounds at 6.6 per contest. She amassed three different double-digit rebounds games this season, grabbing a season-high 14 against Cal State Fullerton on January 2nd. In that game, CSUN tallied 61 rebounds, just two short of a team record and tied for third most in the team's history. Erica Adams averages 4.8 RPG and Erika Aspajo averages 3.9 RPG, both impressive numbers for two guards.

SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA
UCSB enters Thursday's contest 10-9 on the campaign and 4-5 in Big West action. UCSB fell short against UC San Diego and Cal State Fullerton last week, so the Gauchos will be hungry for a win. The Gauchos are fourth in the Big West in scoring at 63.4 PPG. On the flip side, they allow 60.3 PPG.

Alyssa Marin leads UCSB in points per game as she tallies 15.5 per contest, good enough for second in the Big West. Behind her is sophomore Zoe Borter at 9.5 per game. The Gauchos can go blow-for-blow with the Matadors from behind the arc, as UCSB is second in the conference at made threes per contest at 7.2, narrowly clipping CSUN's 7.0.

UCSB also gets it done from the free-throw line. The Gauchos lead the Big West in free-throw percentage. They are shooting at an 82.8% clip.

Series History: The Matadors are 20-53 all-time against UCSB. CSUN's last win came on Jan. 5, 2019 where CSUN was victorious 73-65 at home.

SCOUTING CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD
CSUB enters Saturday's contest 1-18 on the season and 1-8 in Big West play, with its lone win coming against CSUN on Jan. 11. Bakersfield is last in the Big West in points per game at 48.5. On the flip side the team allows 69.6 points per game.

Redshirt senior Ary Dizon leads the Roadrunners in scoring at 8.3 per game. Redshirt freshman Caitie Gingras is second at 7.7 PPG.

The Matadors will look to force three-point shots as Bakersfield is ranked last in the conference at three-point percentage (25.1). CSUN will also look to send the Roadrunners to the charity stripe, as Bakersfield is last in free-throw percentage (59.0%).

Series History: CSUN currently trails in the all-time series history by going 5-11. CSUN's last win against the Roadrunners came in overtime on Feb. 23, 2023 where the Matadors prevailed by a score of 73-64.

#GoMatadors

CSUN Hosts Matinee Against UCSB Thursday, Travels to Bakersfield Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Erica Adams

Erika Aspajo

Yves Cox

Laini Dahlin

Morgan Edwards

Kayla Hopson

Jenna Kilty

Karsen Marshall

Nnenna Orji

Kelly Tumlin