CSUN Travels to First-Place Hawai'i on Saturday

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Basketball travels to Big West-leading Hawai'i on Saturday evening with tip-off slated for 9 p.m. PT on ESPN+. Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister will have the call in an audio broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.

FOR STARTERS
CSUN (11-9, 4-4 Big West) plays just once this week in the first of its two "bye weeks" of the Big West season. Aside from another one-game week in the middle of February, CSUN will otherwise play two-game weeks for the remainder of the regular season. Saturday also represents CSUN's final trip to Honolulu for the foreseeable future as Hawai'i will leave the Big West for the Mountain West Conference starting in 2026-27. Next week, CSUN returns to Premier America Credit Union Arena for a two-game homestand against UC Davis on Jan. 29 and UC San Diego on Jan. 31.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
The Matadors split two games in last week's Big West action. CSUN posted an impressive road win at defending Big West champion UC San Diego 84-79 last Thursday before falling to Long Beach State 87-80 last Saturday at Premier America Credit Union Arena.

Behind 23 points and seven assists from Josiah Davis, CSUN earned its first win over UC San Diego in its Division I era last Thursday in La Jolla. Davis scored the game winner, a three-point play with a minute to play, as the Matadors scored 10 of the final 13 points of the contest. James Evans Jr. kept up his offensive tear, scoring a season-high 22 points while Mahmoud Fofana had 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The victory over the Tritons snapped an eight-game skid in the series.

Two days later, CSUN tasted defeat at home for the first time this season against Long Beach State. The Matadors held a 38-35 lead at halftime, but the Beach went on to outscore CSUN 52-42 in the second half behind a game-high 34 from Gavin Sykes. Larry Hughes II led the way with 21 points while Joshua O'Garro (15 points and 14 rebounds) and Davis (13 points and 10 assists) had double-doubles each in defeat. The loss to the Beach snapped a 10-game home win streak (a Division I record), going back to last season.

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
Senior guard Larry Hughes II has enjoyed a career season in his first year with CSUN. Hughes has led the Matadors in scoring throughout the season, posting the third-best average in the Big West at 18.5. Hughes has also led the Big West in 3-point field goals made per game (3.3), which ranks 17th-best in the nation. His 63 made threes are tied for the eighth-most in a season in CSUN history. In addition, Hughes is second in the Big West in steals per game (1.9) and fifth in free throw percentage (86.7). Hughes has hit double figures in 18 of 19 games and 20 points or more eight times.

THE ASSIST MAN
Josiah Davis has taken the reigns of the point guard position this season at CSUN, leading the Big West in assists. The 6-3 guard tops the conference and ranks 10th in the nation in total assists (129) and 14th in assists per game (6.3). He is rapidly approaching the Matadors' all-time top-10 list for assists in a season as he is just five helpers away from 10th place. Davis has already etched his name in CSUN history, tying the single game record for assists with his 15 against Cal Poly on Jan. 8. In total, Davis has reached double figures in assists four times this season. No slouch offensively, Davis has posted a career-high 14.5 points per game, good enough for second-best on the team.

QUICK HITS
CSUN remains the Big West leader in rebounding, topping the league and ranking 15th in the nation with a 41.8 average ... The Matadors also lead the Big West in assists per game, posting 16.6 per game ... Forward Joshua O'Garro is up to fifth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (7.9) while he is 24th in overall rebounds per game (9.6). His nine double-doubles, a new career high, is also 17th-most in the nation ... Senior Mahmoud Fofana is just three rebounds away from reaching 500 for his career at CSUN. Quietly, Fofana has put together a career season on the floor, recording 10.3 points on 63.4 percent shooting to go with the third-best rebounding average in the Big West at 7.9 ... Freshman James Evans Jr. has scored in double figures in four consecutive games, highlighted by a career-high 22 points in a win at UC San Diego. Evans has also been strong from distance in those games, going 10-of-20 from three.

SCOUTING HAWAI'I
The Rainbow Warriors are off to a 14-4 start and 6-2 mark in Big West play, sharing the league's best record with UC Irvine. The team is 12-1 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center including winning eight straight. Hawai'i knocked off Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday by a 98-71 score at home. The Bows nearly lead the Big West in every defensive category, limiting the opposition to 64.7 points on 39.0 percent shooting. Offensively, the team averages 79.9 points and holds an impressive scoring margin of +15.2. Four players score in double figures on the team led by Isaac Johnson at 12.6 points per game. Dre Bullock is a close second at 12.2 points followed by Harry Rouhliadeff (11.4) and Gytis Nemeiksa (10.3). Johnson also tops the team in rebounding at 5.9 per game.

Series History: Hawai'i holds a 24-11 edge over CSUN in the all-time series. The Matadors though swept the season series last year including picking up an 83-60 decision in Hawai'i. Overall, CSUN has won three of the last five meetings.

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CSUN Travels to First-Place Hawai'i on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Josiah Davis

James Evans Jr.

Mahmoud Fofana

Larry Hughes II

Joshua O'Garro

California State University Northridge Athletics