California State University Northridge Athletics
2025-26 Top CSUN Moments - Men's Basketball Reaches Big West Semis
7/10/2026 10:03:00 AM | Men's Basketball
From July 6 to August 7, GoMatadors.com will present the top CSUN Moments from the 2025-26 sports season. Today, we celebrate the Matador men's basketball team's postseason run to the Big West semifinals along with Josiah Davis earning the Big West Player of the Year award.Â
The CSUN Men's Basketball team reached more program milestones in an outstanding 2025-26 season on the court. In addition to setting new school records in several categories, the Matadors hit the 20-win benchmark for the second straight season and made their first Big West Championship semifinal appearance in 12 seasons.Â
Third-year head coach Andy Newman led a new-look Matador team, consisting of just three rotation players from the season prior, to a third-place finish in the Big West standings. CSUN would tie a school record with seven straight league wins while the team recorded new program records in overall points scored (2,767) and total rebounds (1,407).Â
Four Matadors earned All-Big West Team honors on the year, highlighted by point guard Josiah Davis receiving Big West Player of the Year accolades. The 6-3 guard from Kitchener, Ontario, would make a splash in his first season with the Matadors as he was among the national leaders in assists, finishing fourth overall by season's end. His 253 total assists were the second-most in school history while he tied the all-time CSUN record for assists in a game (15) on two separate occasions. Davis was also the second-leading scorer on the team, registering a career-best 15.9 points per game. Among his many awards, Davis received the Big West Newcomer of the Year award, an All-Big West First Team selection, a NABC All-District Second Team nod and national Player of the Week recognition.Â
The season saw the emergence of Larry Hughes II become the team's top scorer while another newcomer, Joshua O'Garro, topped the Big West in rebounding. An All-Big West Second Team honoree, Hughes finished fourth in the conference in scoring average at 17.7 as he knocked down the third-most threes in school history at 101. O'Garro, an All-Big West Honorable Mention, would record 13 double-doubles on the season to go with averaging 14.6 points and 9.0 rebounds, both of which were career highs.Â
A Matador mainstay, senior Mahmoud Fofana completed his collegiate career with his best season to date. The 6-6 forward earned All-Big West Honorable Mention accolades and receive the Big West Best Hustle Player of the Year award after averaging 11.0 points and 7.9 rebounds. He wrapped up his career ranked second all-time in school history in career field goal percentage (57.3) along with ninth in career rebounds (607).Â
CSUN would be tough at Premier America Credit Union Arena all season long, highlighted by eight straight home wins to begin the year. Among the many memorable wins on the season, CSUN knocked off Fresno State with a last-second three-pointer from Davis to lift the Matadors to an 89-87 win. CSUN would also defeat future NCAA Tournament team Troy in front of the home fans by a 94-85 score while the Matadors reached the century mark in points in a 100-88 triumph over Sacramento State.Â
After starting Big West play at 4-5, the Matadors collected an impressive 94-78 win over UC Davis on Jan. 29. From then on, CSUN would not lose for nearly a full month as the team tied a school record with seven consecutive wins. Over the streak, the Matadors defeated defending Big West champion UC San Diego at home 81-64, pulled out a road win in Cal Poly on a last-second layup from O'Garro, routed first-place Hawai'i 84-60, and won back-to-back nail biters on the road at UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State.Â
A heartbreaking one-point loss to UC Irvine would snap the seven-game win streak, but CSUN secured its 19th win of the season a week later at the Icardo Center against Cal State Bakersfield.Â
CSUN entered the Big West Championship in Henderson, Nev., as the No. 4 seed where it matched up with UC San Diego in the quarterfinals. The game would be a tight one, but behind a career-high 34 points from Hughes along with double-digit scoring efforts from Davis and O'Garro, CSUN pulled out an 80-70 victory to register its 20th win of the year. The victory also assured CSUN its first trip to the Big West semifinal round since 2014.Â
A day later, CSUN would face top-seeded, and well-rested UC Irvine in the semifinals. Playing their first game of the tournament, the Anteaters jumped out to a 16-point lead before halftime, but the Matadors made a push in the second half, trimming the deficit to just six points on a layup from Davis with 12 minutes to play. However, a comeback was not in the cards as UC Irvine pulled away down the stretch. Davis finished with 26 points on the night and would collect Big West All-Tournament team honors after averaging 20.0 points and 8.5 assists in the two Matador games.Â
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The CSUN Men's Basketball team reached more program milestones in an outstanding 2025-26 season on the court. In addition to setting new school records in several categories, the Matadors hit the 20-win benchmark for the second straight season and made their first Big West Championship semifinal appearance in 12 seasons.Â
Third-year head coach Andy Newman led a new-look Matador team, consisting of just three rotation players from the season prior, to a third-place finish in the Big West standings. CSUN would tie a school record with seven straight league wins while the team recorded new program records in overall points scored (2,767) and total rebounds (1,407).Â
Four Matadors earned All-Big West Team honors on the year, highlighted by point guard Josiah Davis receiving Big West Player of the Year accolades. The 6-3 guard from Kitchener, Ontario, would make a splash in his first season with the Matadors as he was among the national leaders in assists, finishing fourth overall by season's end. His 253 total assists were the second-most in school history while he tied the all-time CSUN record for assists in a game (15) on two separate occasions. Davis was also the second-leading scorer on the team, registering a career-best 15.9 points per game. Among his many awards, Davis received the Big West Newcomer of the Year award, an All-Big West First Team selection, a NABC All-District Second Team nod and national Player of the Week recognition.Â
The season saw the emergence of Larry Hughes II become the team's top scorer while another newcomer, Joshua O'Garro, topped the Big West in rebounding. An All-Big West Second Team honoree, Hughes finished fourth in the conference in scoring average at 17.7 as he knocked down the third-most threes in school history at 101. O'Garro, an All-Big West Honorable Mention, would record 13 double-doubles on the season to go with averaging 14.6 points and 9.0 rebounds, both of which were career highs.Â
A Matador mainstay, senior Mahmoud Fofana completed his collegiate career with his best season to date. The 6-6 forward earned All-Big West Honorable Mention accolades and receive the Big West Best Hustle Player of the Year award after averaging 11.0 points and 7.9 rebounds. He wrapped up his career ranked second all-time in school history in career field goal percentage (57.3) along with ninth in career rebounds (607).Â
CSUN would be tough at Premier America Credit Union Arena all season long, highlighted by eight straight home wins to begin the year. Among the many memorable wins on the season, CSUN knocked off Fresno State with a last-second three-pointer from Davis to lift the Matadors to an 89-87 win. CSUN would also defeat future NCAA Tournament team Troy in front of the home fans by a 94-85 score while the Matadors reached the century mark in points in a 100-88 triumph over Sacramento State.Â
After starting Big West play at 4-5, the Matadors collected an impressive 94-78 win over UC Davis on Jan. 29. From then on, CSUN would not lose for nearly a full month as the team tied a school record with seven consecutive wins. Over the streak, the Matadors defeated defending Big West champion UC San Diego at home 81-64, pulled out a road win in Cal Poly on a last-second layup from O'Garro, routed first-place Hawai'i 84-60, and won back-to-back nail biters on the road at UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State.Â
A heartbreaking one-point loss to UC Irvine would snap the seven-game win streak, but CSUN secured its 19th win of the season a week later at the Icardo Center against Cal State Bakersfield.Â
CSUN entered the Big West Championship in Henderson, Nev., as the No. 4 seed where it matched up with UC San Diego in the quarterfinals. The game would be a tight one, but behind a career-high 34 points from Hughes along with double-digit scoring efforts from Davis and O'Garro, CSUN pulled out an 80-70 victory to register its 20th win of the year. The victory also assured CSUN its first trip to the Big West semifinal round since 2014.Â
A day later, CSUN would face top-seeded, and well-rested UC Irvine in the semifinals. Playing their first game of the tournament, the Anteaters jumped out to a 16-point lead before halftime, but the Matadors made a push in the second half, trimming the deficit to just six points on a layup from Davis with 12 minutes to play. However, a comeback was not in the cards as UC Irvine pulled away down the stretch. Davis finished with 26 points on the night and would collect Big West All-Tournament team honors after averaging 20.0 points and 8.5 assists in the two Matador games.Â
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