Thursday, December 18
Northridge, Calif
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
5-5,1-1Big West
56
vs
77
Northern Arizona
3-9,0-0Big Sky
1
2
3
4
F
Northern Ariz.
18
19
20
20
77
CSUN
11
12
12
21
56
Photo by: Chuck Marvel
Northern Arizona Bests CSUN, 77-56 in Thursday Night Home Contest
12/18/2025 9:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (3-9) defeated CSUN (5-5, 1-1 Big West) 77-56 Thursday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena. Kelly Tumlin led the Matadors in points as she tallied 10 on the night. Rita Nazario added nine as well. NAU's Madison Watts scored 20 points and Naomi White added a game-high 27 as Northern Arizona pulled away in the second half to take the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lumberjacks used a balanced offensive effort and forced 24 turnovers in the game. NAU took control early, building a 37-23 halftime lead before outscoring the Matadors 40-33 over the final two quarters.
White finished with 27 points on 9-of-21 shooting and added 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Watts shot 9-of-13 from the field and chipped in seven assists. Simone Morris contributed nine rebounds, and Northern Arizona held a 38-16 advantage in points in the paint.
CSUN had help from Morgan Edwards, who scored eight points off the bench, and Maya Contreras, who added eight points and seven rebounds. Rita Nazario contributed six assists and six steals beside her nine points for the Matadors.
The Matadors jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the opening minutes, but Northern Arizona responded with a 10-0 run midway through the first quarter to seize momentum. The Lumberjacks led by as many as 26 points late in the fourth quarter.
Northern Arizona shot 44.4% from the field for the game and out rebounded CSUN 43-42, while the Matadors struggled offensively, shooting 27.1% overall and 21.6% from 3-point range.
CSUN closed the game on a strong note, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
NEWS AND NOTES
CSUN heads to Malibu to take on Pepperdine, Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Waves head into the contest with an 8-3 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lumberjacks used a balanced offensive effort and forced 24 turnovers in the game. NAU took control early, building a 37-23 halftime lead before outscoring the Matadors 40-33 over the final two quarters.
White finished with 27 points on 9-of-21 shooting and added 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Watts shot 9-of-13 from the field and chipped in seven assists. Simone Morris contributed nine rebounds, and Northern Arizona held a 38-16 advantage in points in the paint.
CSUN had help from Morgan Edwards, who scored eight points off the bench, and Maya Contreras, who added eight points and seven rebounds. Rita Nazario contributed six assists and six steals beside her nine points for the Matadors.
The Matadors jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the opening minutes, but Northern Arizona responded with a 10-0 run midway through the first quarter to seize momentum. The Lumberjacks led by as many as 26 points late in the fourth quarter.
Northern Arizona shot 44.4% from the field for the game and out rebounded CSUN 43-42, while the Matadors struggled offensively, shooting 27.1% overall and 21.6% from 3-point range.
CSUN closed the game on a strong note, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
NEWS AND NOTES
- CSUN added 29 points off the bench in the defeat.
- CSUN tallied six blocks to NAU's three.
- Kelly Tumlin scored in double-figures in back-to-back games.
- Tumlin, Laini Dahlin, and Nazario all tallied at two shots from distance.
CSUN heads to Malibu to take on Pepperdine, Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Waves head into the contest with an 8-3 record.
Team Stats
NAU
CSUN
FG%
.444
.271
3FG%
.222
.216
FT%
.630
.640
RB
43
42
TO
25
35
STL
18
16
Game Leaders
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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