Matadors Square Off Against Vandals Sunday

NORTHRIDGE, Calif --- The CSUN women's basketball team (2-2) will complete its three game road trip as the Matadors take on the Idaho Vandals (4-1) at the ICCU Arena, Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be livestreamed on ESPN+.

LAST TIME OUT
CSUN fell to the California Baptist Lancers 86-54 Wednesday night at the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center. Nadia Bernard scored a career high 15 points in the defeat. Morgan Edwards scored in double figures as well with 10.

After a tightly contested first quarter, CBU started to pull away in the second period. After two made shots from CBU, a layup from Bernard cut the lead to 14 at the 8:09 mark. CBU then went on a 15-0 run thanks in large part from three straight three-point buckets from Reyleigh Hess, Chance Bucher and Filipa Barros. Two free throws from Rita Nazario ended the Lancers' run. CSUN made four shots from the charity stripe in the quarter as CSUN went into the halftime break trailing 46-20.

CSUN kept pace with the home team in the third quarter. The Matadors scored 15 while California Baptist scored 16.

In the fourth quarter, CSUN kept fighting with its highest scoring quarter of the night at 19. Edwards and Bernard accounted for 18 of the 19 points. Bernard, the transfer from Saint Mary's, was a perfect 4-4 from the field. Edwards drained two shots from distance in the last stages as she shot 75% in the fourth. CSUN shot a higher percentage than the Lancers in the fourth, but ultimately couldn't make up the deficit from the first half.

HITTING SHOTS FROM DOWNTOWN
CSUN is currently 19th in the nation and third in the Big West in three-pointers made per game at 9.3 per contest. Newcomer Rita Nazario is leading the Matadors with 13 threes in total on 27 attempts. Morgan Edwards has seven threes made while Laini Dahlin has five made threes.
Eight different Matadors have found the bottom of the net from distance so far.

NAZARIO HAS MADE A STATEMENT
Entering this year, 5'5 guard Rita Nazario came over to the Matadors after playing previously at Saint Louis. Since becoming a Matador, she has left her mark all over this season and has become CSUN's most reliable scorer through four games. She is currently leading the team in points per game at 14.5. She has the most three-pointers on the squad with 13 made. She is shooting 48% from the field and 48% from three. The Portugal native also leads the team in minutes per game at 24.8.

SCOUTING IDAHO
The Vandals come into tomorrow's game with a 4-1 record, including beating fellow Big West opponent UC Riverside by a score of 89-75 at home Friday night.
Idaho is currently 29th in the nation at points per game as the Vandals average 84.4 points each time they hit the floor. On average they only give up 72.0 PPG. The Vandals have four players averaging double-figures. Hope Hassmann leads the team with 13.6 PPG. Kyra Gardner is right behind her with 13.4 PPG.

SERIES HISTORY
Idaho is 8-2 all-time against the Matadors. Both these two teams squared off last season with Idaho being victorious, 68-52 at Premier America Credit Union Arena. The Vandals are currently riding a four game winning streak dating back to 2015.

Matadors Square Off Against Vandals Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Nadia Bernard

Laini Dahlin

Morgan Edwards