CSUN Takes on Fullerton in Opening Round of Big West Championship

Wednesday, March 11

Henderson, Nev.

12:00 pm

California State University at Northridge

Cal State Fullerton

Photo by: Chuck Marvel

CSUN Takes on Fullerton in Opening Round of Big West Championship

3/10/2026 12:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball

HENDERSON, Nev. --- The CSUN women's basketball team (10-19, 6-14 Big West) is set to take on the Cal State Fullerton Titans (17-13, 13-7 Big West) in the opening round of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Women's Basketball Championship on Wednesday, March 11. The Matadors are seeded eighth in the tournament while the Titans are seeded fifth. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with tip off at noon. The winner of the matchup will take on #4 seeded Hawai'i on Thursday.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
VS Cal State Bakersfield on 3/5
The CSUN women's basketball team used a dominant defensive performance and several key scoring runs to defeat CSU Bakersfield 82-47 on Wednesday during Senior Night at Premier America Credit Union Arena. Rita Nazario led the Matadors in scoring with 16 points. Amya Moody added 13 and Jite Gbemuotor contributed 12 points and 15 rebounds in the win.

The Matadors controlled the game from the opening minutes and never trailed, leading for more than 38 minutes while holding the Roadrunners to just 23% shooting from the field.

Nazario's 16 points included four three pointers. Bakersfield's 47 points was the lowest total CSUN has held a Big West opponent to this season. Moody's 13 points came on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting night, including two triples. This was the fifth game this season that Gbemuotor has grabbed at least 15 rebounds and her 10th double figure rebound game overall. Also, it was her ninth double-double of the year.

VS Cal State Fullerton on 3/7
The CSUN women's basketball team dropped an 81-60 decision to the Cal State Fullerton Titans Saturday afternoon at Titan Gym. Saray White and Mariona Cos-Morales led the way with 13 points each while Amya Moody had 10 points off the bench.

The Titans outscored the Matadors 25-to-20 in the final frame. The Titans went ahead by 20 points midway through the fourth quarter. The Matadors brought it down to as little as 15 points but the Titans were able to extend the lead to 21 points by the end of the game.

GBEMUOTOR HAS BEEN THE MVP
Jite Gbemuotor, who transferred from Ole Miss this past offseason, has proven to be the MVP of this Matador squad with her performance, not only scoring but in rebounding as well. Gbemuotor has played in all 29 games and started in 19 of them. She is third in scoring at 9.4 points per game but is by far the best rebounder at 8.3 boards per game. She has had nine double-doubles so far this year and 10 double figure rebound games. Gbemuotor's season high in rebounds is 16, which she has reached in games against Cal Poly on Feb. 5 and Bethesda on Nov. 4. She has also reached 15 rebounds three different times.

NAZARIO IS TOP FIVE IN THREES MADE FOR A SEASON
Rita Nazario has been impressive from long range for the Matadors this season. She finished the regular season with 65 made three-point field goals, good enough for fifth in the Big West and fifth all-time in a single season in CSUN history. Cinnamon Lister currently holds the record with 89 made threes in 32 games set in the 2013-14 season.

NO ONE DISHES THE BALL BETTER THAN ASPAJO
Erika Aspajo has been running the offense all season long. She averages four assists on the year which leads the team, while totaling 92 assists so far this season. That 92 mark also leads the team. Aspajo has 186 total assists in her Matador career since joining the team in 2024-25. Her season high in assists came on opening night against Bethesda (CA) on Nov. 4, where she had eight dimes.

SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Titans ended the regular season at 17-13 and 13-7 in Big West play. The Titans currently have the best offense in the Big West, averaging 71.9 points per game while giving up 65.8 points per game.

They have a top five scorer in the conference in Cristina Jones. She averages 16.1 points per contest. Jones had 17 against CSUN this past Saturday. Jones is also solid on the defensive end, averaging 3.8 steals per game, which is best in the conference.

A big strength of this Fullerton team is its rebounds. The Titans average 39.2 rebounds per game, good for best in the Big West. They create multiple possessions, as they grab 18.2 offensive boards per game, which is easily first in the Big West. The next closest team is CSUN at 12.4 offensive rebounds per game.

Both teams squared off twice in the regular season. On January 10, Fullerton beat CSUN 73-58 at Premier America Credit Union Arena. Saray White scored her career high that day, scoring 26 points.

Both teams also squared off in the regular season finale. CSUN fell 81-60 at Titan Gym.

Series History: The series is 31-36 all-time in favor of the Titans.