Channon Fluker has carried the weight of the team on her shoulders this season and coach Jason Flowers has been consistently fixing a ship that has seen its share of storms. Through all the injuries, agony and close defeats, the Matadors this time would not be denied in the home game against UC Davis who up to this point had not been challenged.
CSUN defeated UC Davis (17-4, 7-1) 75-71 in overtime and toppled the first place team in the Big West Conference.
The Matadors provided toughness against the Aggies who were previously undefeated in conference and provided some coming of age stories that CSUN will be able to fall back on when the Big West Tournament rolls around.
Of course, Channon Fluker continued to spoil the crowd with another signature performance and delivered 22 points with 20 rebounds. Despite her strong game, more was needed after Fluker fouled out with 2:19 remaining in the game.
Freshman point guard Meghann Henderson provided the extra push and refused to let the clock or intensity rile her up. Henderson was aggressive to the basket, calm in her approach and settled the Matadors when the game became frantic.
Henderson proved she had learned to settle her nerves after being thrown into the starting lineup for injured senior Serafina Maulupe. She scored 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting with 7 assists. Despite her shots not falling, her body language never turned sour and continued to play.
The Matadors all together had four players score in double figures and as a result have won five of its last six games. Credit to coach Jason Flowers who has not allowed his team to feel sorry for itself despite being dealt with serious injuries to keep playing.
As he has consistently stated throughout the season
“players win games, no matter what is in front of them.”
CSUN has shown in its recent performances that Flowers’ concept of accountability is woven into the team’s fabric. The result is a team that has won five of its last six and climbing the Big West rankings.
Players are starting to step up and it’s reason enough to believe that the Matadors will win the conference and punch a ticket into March Madness.
