CSUN Continues Big West Play Hosting Cal Poly, Traveling to Cal State Fullerton

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Basketball continues Big West action this week with the Matadors hosting Cal Poly on Thursday at 7 p.m. and making the trip to Cal State Fullerton on Saturday at 4 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister will have the call in audio broadcasts at GoMatadors.com/Radio.

FOR STARTERS
CSUN split its first two games to begin the month of January last week to move to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in Big West play. The Matadors look to win their second straight game overall and stay unbeaten at home (7-0) when they play against Cal Poly while CSUN seeks its first road win in conference play on Saturday against Cal State Fullerton.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
CSUN restarted Big West play on New Year's Day, falling to UC Davis by an 89-80 score but bounced back to knock off UC Santa Barbara 74-65 on Jan. 3 at Premier America Credit Union Arena.

The Matadors had five score in double figures at UC Davis but it was not enough in the nine-point loss. Josiah Davis had a team-high 21 points while Larry Hughes II scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half. After a tough shooting first half, CSUN shot 69 percent in the second half, however, the Aggies managed to shoot at a 60 percent clip and never allowed the Matadors to close the gap. UC Davis outscored CSUN 51-47 in the second period, leading by as many as 17 points.

CSUN had more success on the defensive side of the ball in defeating UC Santa Barbara last Saturday. The Matadors held the Gauchos to 34 percent shooting with just 6-of-30 makes from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Hughes had a team-best 23 points and Mahmoud Fofana posted a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. CSUN never trailed in the ballgame, but UCSB would draw even at 56-56 with just over five minutes to go. The Matadors though ended the game on an 18-9 run to secure the victory.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
With last Saturday's win over UC Santa Barbara, CSUN improved its perfect Premier America Credit Arena record to 7-0 this season. The Matadors have not won their first seven home games to begin a season since 2007-08 when that team started 8-0. Going back to last season, CSUN has won nine straight at home, one short of its Division I record for consecutive wins of 10 games (set from Feb. 13, 1999 to Feb. 3, 2000). Since Andy Newman's arrival at CSUN, the Matadors are 26-10 at Premier America Credit Union Arena.

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
Senior guard Larry Hughes II has put together a career season in his first year with CSUN in 2025-26. Hughes has led the Matadors in scoring throughout the season, posting the second-highest point average in the Big West at 19.1. He is also the conference leader in 3-point field goals made per game (3.5) while he ranks second in steals per game (2.1), fourth in free throw percentage (86.4) and fifth in 3-point percentage (42.7). Nationally, Hughes is also among the best in all of Division I basketball, ranking fourth overall in 3-point field goals made (56), 13th in 3-pointers made per game (3.5) and 19th in total points scored (305).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Newcomers Joshua O'Garro and Josiah Davis have made a big difference in their respective first seasons with CSUN. O'Garro has emerged as the team's top rebounder, posting 9.0 per game to go with ranking second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points. His rebound average leads the Big West and ranks 37th in the nation. Davis has taken the reigns of the point guard position, posting a conference-best 5.8 per game, good enough for 31st-best in the nation. His 93 assists are also 16th most in Division I basketball. In the scoring column, Davis is tied with O'Garro at 13.5 points per game.

QUICK HITS
CSUN is once again one of the top rebounding teams in the Big West, pacing the league and ranking 28th in the nation at 41.3 per game. The Matadors, who have led the Big West in rebounding over the past two seasons, broke the program's Division I record for rebounds in a game with 65 recorded against La Sierra on Dec. 19 ... Larry Hughes II has already made a career-high 56 shots from 3-point range. With the 56 three-pointers, Hughes is just six away from reaching the all-time top-10 for a season in CSUN history ... Joshua O'Garro has already posted six double-doubles this season, giving him 10 over his Division I basketball career. His six double-doubles are 23rd-most in the nation ... Senior Mahmoud Fofana has quietly put together another strong start to the season, registering career highs in scoring (10.0) and rebounding (7.2). Fofana is also fourth in the Big West in rebounds per game ... Davius Loury has reached double figures in scoring in seven of the last eight games after not reaching the mark over his first seven games of the year. Loury is fifth on the team in scoring at 8.7 points per game with 24 made from 3-point range.

SCOUTING CAL POLY
The Mustangs come in at 6-10 overall with a 2-2 mark in Big West play. Cal Poly has dropped five of the past six games but did knock off UC San Diego 67-65 on Jan. 1 while the Mustangs were defeated at Long Beach State 74-66 on Jan. 3. Prior to the year, Cal Poly was picked to finish seventh in the Big West by the league's head coaches. The Mustangs lead the Big West in 3-point field goals made per game (10.8) and total 3-pointers made (172) to go with scoring 80.7 points per game against 85.1 points per game allowed. Hamad Mousa tops the conference in scoring at 20.9 points to go with 6.2 rebounds per game. Other double-digit scorers include Peter Bandelj (15.2) and Cayden Ward (15.1).

Series History: In a series that dates back to 1960, CSUN leads Cal Poly 58-57 all time. The Matadors swept the season series last season, winning 89-85 at Premier America Credit Union Arena. Overall, CSUN has won the last five meetings in the series, along with seven consecutive at home since 2018.

SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Titans are 6-10 overall and 1-3 in Big West play. Fullerton collected its first conference win on Jan. 1 over UC Santa Barbara (95-84) before falling to UC Irvine (86-64) on Saturday. Through 16 games, Fullerton has already matched its win total from last season. The Titans lead the Big West in scoring offense, averaging 86.7 points, but the team is 11th in scoring defense at 86.9 points per game. Four Titans are scoring in double figures led by Joshua Ward at 14.6 points to go with 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Other double-digit scorers include Landon Seaman (13.4), Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (12.9) and Bryce Cofield (12.7).

Series History: The Titans lead the Matadors 51-41 in the all-time series, dating back to 1960. CSUN posted a season sweep of Fullerton last season, recording a 95-65 victory at Titan Gym. The Matadors have won the last five meetings, which includes two road wins over the past two seasons.

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CSUN Continues Big West Play Hosting Cal Poly, Traveling to Cal State Fullerton

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Players Mentioned

Josiah Davis

Mahmoud Fofana

Larry Hughes II

Davius Loury

Joshua O'Garro