Tuesday, November 4
Northridge, Calif
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Bethesda
Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Opens Up 53rd Season of Women’s Basketball on Tuesday
11/3/2025 3:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif -- CSUN Women's Basketball officially opens its 53rd season on Tuesday when the Matadors host Bethesda University in the 25-26 opener. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.
Opening week continues when CSUN welcomes San Diego to Premier America Credit Union Arena on Saturday. Tip-off for that game is at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
FOR STARTERS
CSUN is now in its second year under head coach Angie Ned. Ned oversaw a Matador team that went 4-25 and 2-18 in Big West play in 2024-25. The Matadors lost nine letterwinners but are returning three starters (Erika Aspajo, Morgan Edwards, and Kelly Tumlin) and five players in total from last year's team. CSUN was picked to finish ninth overall in the Big West, ahead of Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Bakersfield, both of whom CSUN took wins from last season.
HI, I'M NEW HERE
A total of 10 newcomers make up this season's roster, that's 67 percent of the team. Of the 10 newcomers, six are transfers. In an interview with the Big West during the conference preview on Oct. 17, coach Ned emphasised using the transfer portal to build pieces for a winning program in the offseason. Using the portal is something that every team does in the new age of college sports, and CSUN has taken advantage of it.
The transfers include Jite Gbemuotor (Ole Miss), Maya Contreras (New Mexico Junior College), Mariona Cos-Morales (Rider University), Rita Nazario (Saint Louis), Nadia Bernard (Saint Mary's) and Saray White (Cosumnes River College). To join the transfers on the squad are four freshmen: Amya Moody, Norret Lewis, Heather Stedman and Jana Canadell.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Jite Gbemuotor (Nigeria), Mariona Cos-Morales (Spain), Rita Nazário (Portugal) and Jana Canadell (Spain) are among the newcomers that come from around the world. They join Matador mainstay in Erika Aspajo who is from Spain as well. Nazario from Portugal is still competing in international competition for her country. Prior to the season, she was a member of the Portuguese Basketball Federation Supercup championship team at the U19 World Championships in Czechia.`
Gbemuotor was a seven-time champion in the Slovenian League growing up, and Canadell competed in her Spanish league championship before graduating high school.
MORGAN EDWARDS - THE TEAM LEADER
Morgan Edwards has made an immediate impact on the Matadors since playing her first year as a junior last season after transferring from Cal State Bakersfield. Last season, she led the Matadors in field goals made at 83. Edwards also scored in double figures in 15 games while scoring over 20 points on two different occasions (22 against California Baptist (12/11/24) and 21 against Cal State Fullerton (01/02/25)). She averaged 8.8 points per game and 30.3 minutes per game, both second on the team. Edwards started in the most games out of any player a year ago.
RETURNING VETERANS
Besides Morgan Edwards, another leader looking to continue making her mark is Erika Aspajo. Aspajo played in 19 games and started in 13 of them. She led the Matadors in points per game at 9.2 per contest and in steals at 1.5 per game. She also led CSUN in assists at 4.9 per game.
CSUN also returns some pieces that are vital to the construction of what coach Angie Ned is trying to accomplish. Kelly Tumlin for starters is a senior guard entering her second season as a Matador. Tumlin saw action in 25 games while starting in 18 of them. She led the team in minutes and was 11th in the Big West at 31 per game. She averaged 8.1 points per game, third on the team in that category. She scored in double-figures in eight games.
Laini Dahlin is a senior guard returning from last year as well. The Central Point, Oregon native played in 25 games and started in four of them. She averaged 15.9 minutes per game, and recorded two double-digit scoring games on the season, 11 versus Southern California (11/12/24) and 11 versus Long Beach State (02/08/25). She drained three shots from behind the arc in three different contests.
Junior Alondra Lizama has been a Matador the longest out of anyone, having donned the red and white since 2023-24. She saw action in 25 games, all off the bench in her second season with CSUN. She averaged 10.1 minutes per game, totaling 22 field goals made with 71 points and 49 rebounds while scoring a career high 13 points and 13 rebounds against Long Beach State on February 8th.
ON THE CALL
JIll Painter-Lopez will be entering her third full season as the head play-by-play announcer for the Matadors. She began her duties with the team midway through the 2021-22 campaign. Painter Lopez is also a sports reporter for CBS/KCAL. She is a former LA Daily News sports reporter and columnist, where she covered the CSUN men's basketball team and CSUN football team. She previously worked for Bally Sports West and was named the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Reporter of the Year in 2019. Sports Journalist Graham Metzker will also provide color-commentary for the Matadors for most of the contests.
SCOUTING BETHESDA (CALIFORNIA)
The Bethesda Lion Angels are coming off a year where they finished 7-20 overall and 6-1 in conference play. The Lion Angels compete in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association. Seniors Serina Quezada and Jacqueline Aguilar lead the team heading into the new year. The team last season averaged 52.3 PPG while shooting 36.6 percent from the field. They won seven out of the last eight games of the season.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the first time in the history of these two teams that a matchup will take place.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO
The Toreros finished last season with a 7-24 record and 2-18 in WCC play. They advanced to the second round of the West Coast Conference tournament after besting Pepperdine in the opening round before ultimately coming up short against Pacific.
USD averaged 60.5 PPG while giving up 65 points per game on the defensive side of the ball. USD is playing its first season under first year head coach Blanche Alverson. Alverson joins the Torero program after successful assistant coaching stops at Georgia Tech, USC and New Mexico State following her stellar playing career at Auburn. She will be the fourth-ever head coach in USD women's basketball program history.
The Toreros are beginning a new era that features seven new faces and eight returners.
Dresha Moore and Hallie Rhodes return as key starters from a season ago with experience competing in the West Coast Conference. After entering the team's starting lineup during conference play, Moore averaged 6.1 PPG and 5.2 rebounds in her debut season.
CSUN isn't the only Big West team USD will face. The Toreros will compete against UC Irvine, UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton.
SERIES HISTORY
These two teams faced off last season. USD won 74-52 in San Diego on Dec. 14 2024. Throughout history, CSUN is 4-21 against the Toreros.
NORTHRIDGE, Calif -- CSUN Women's Basketball officially opens its 53rd season on Tuesday when the Matadors host Bethesda University in the 25-26 opener. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.
Opening week continues when CSUN welcomes San Diego to Premier America Credit Union Arena on Saturday. Tip-off for that game is at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
FOR STARTERS
CSUN is now in its second year under head coach Angie Ned. Ned oversaw a Matador team that went 4-25 and 2-18 in Big West play in 2024-25. The Matadors lost nine letterwinners but are returning three starters (Erika Aspajo, Morgan Edwards, and Kelly Tumlin) and five players in total from last year's team. CSUN was picked to finish ninth overall in the Big West, ahead of Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Bakersfield, both of whom CSUN took wins from last season.
HI, I'M NEW HERE
A total of 10 newcomers make up this season's roster, that's 67 percent of the team. Of the 10 newcomers, six are transfers. In an interview with the Big West during the conference preview on Oct. 17, coach Ned emphasised using the transfer portal to build pieces for a winning program in the offseason. Using the portal is something that every team does in the new age of college sports, and CSUN has taken advantage of it.
The transfers include Jite Gbemuotor (Ole Miss), Maya Contreras (New Mexico Junior College), Mariona Cos-Morales (Rider University), Rita Nazario (Saint Louis), Nadia Bernard (Saint Mary's) and Saray White (Cosumnes River College). To join the transfers on the squad are four freshmen: Amya Moody, Norret Lewis, Heather Stedman and Jana Canadell.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Jite Gbemuotor (Nigeria), Mariona Cos-Morales (Spain), Rita Nazário (Portugal) and Jana Canadell (Spain) are among the newcomers that come from around the world. They join Matador mainstay in Erika Aspajo who is from Spain as well. Nazario from Portugal is still competing in international competition for her country. Prior to the season, she was a member of the Portuguese Basketball Federation Supercup championship team at the U19 World Championships in Czechia.`
Gbemuotor was a seven-time champion in the Slovenian League growing up, and Canadell competed in her Spanish league championship before graduating high school.
MORGAN EDWARDS - THE TEAM LEADER
Morgan Edwards has made an immediate impact on the Matadors since playing her first year as a junior last season after transferring from Cal State Bakersfield. Last season, she led the Matadors in field goals made at 83. Edwards also scored in double figures in 15 games while scoring over 20 points on two different occasions (22 against California Baptist (12/11/24) and 21 against Cal State Fullerton (01/02/25)). She averaged 8.8 points per game and 30.3 minutes per game, both second on the team. Edwards started in the most games out of any player a year ago.
RETURNING VETERANS
Besides Morgan Edwards, another leader looking to continue making her mark is Erika Aspajo. Aspajo played in 19 games and started in 13 of them. She led the Matadors in points per game at 9.2 per contest and in steals at 1.5 per game. She also led CSUN in assists at 4.9 per game.
CSUN also returns some pieces that are vital to the construction of what coach Angie Ned is trying to accomplish. Kelly Tumlin for starters is a senior guard entering her second season as a Matador. Tumlin saw action in 25 games while starting in 18 of them. She led the team in minutes and was 11th in the Big West at 31 per game. She averaged 8.1 points per game, third on the team in that category. She scored in double-figures in eight games.
Laini Dahlin is a senior guard returning from last year as well. The Central Point, Oregon native played in 25 games and started in four of them. She averaged 15.9 minutes per game, and recorded two double-digit scoring games on the season, 11 versus Southern California (11/12/24) and 11 versus Long Beach State (02/08/25). She drained three shots from behind the arc in three different contests.
Junior Alondra Lizama has been a Matador the longest out of anyone, having donned the red and white since 2023-24. She saw action in 25 games, all off the bench in her second season with CSUN. She averaged 10.1 minutes per game, totaling 22 field goals made with 71 points and 49 rebounds while scoring a career high 13 points and 13 rebounds against Long Beach State on February 8th.
ON THE CALL
JIll Painter-Lopez will be entering her third full season as the head play-by-play announcer for the Matadors. She began her duties with the team midway through the 2021-22 campaign. Painter Lopez is also a sports reporter for CBS/KCAL. She is a former LA Daily News sports reporter and columnist, where she covered the CSUN men's basketball team and CSUN football team. She previously worked for Bally Sports West and was named the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Reporter of the Year in 2019. Sports Journalist Graham Metzker will also provide color-commentary for the Matadors for most of the contests.
SCOUTING BETHESDA (CALIFORNIA)
The Bethesda Lion Angels are coming off a year where they finished 7-20 overall and 6-1 in conference play. The Lion Angels compete in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association. Seniors Serina Quezada and Jacqueline Aguilar lead the team heading into the new year. The team last season averaged 52.3 PPG while shooting 36.6 percent from the field. They won seven out of the last eight games of the season.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the first time in the history of these two teams that a matchup will take place.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO
The Toreros finished last season with a 7-24 record and 2-18 in WCC play. They advanced to the second round of the West Coast Conference tournament after besting Pepperdine in the opening round before ultimately coming up short against Pacific.
USD averaged 60.5 PPG while giving up 65 points per game on the defensive side of the ball. USD is playing its first season under first year head coach Blanche Alverson. Alverson joins the Torero program after successful assistant coaching stops at Georgia Tech, USC and New Mexico State following her stellar playing career at Auburn. She will be the fourth-ever head coach in USD women's basketball program history.
The Toreros are beginning a new era that features seven new faces and eight returners.
Dresha Moore and Hallie Rhodes return as key starters from a season ago with experience competing in the West Coast Conference. After entering the team's starting lineup during conference play, Moore averaged 6.1 PPG and 5.2 rebounds in her debut season.
CSUN isn't the only Big West team USD will face. The Toreros will compete against UC Irvine, UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton.
SERIES HISTORY
These two teams faced off last season. USD won 74-52 in San Diego on Dec. 14 2024. Throughout history, CSUN is 4-21 against the Toreros.
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