Seven turned out to be an unlucky number for the CSUN women’s basketball team Friday night.
In a showdown of 0-6 teams, it was the San Jose State Spartans who came away with their first win of the season on Friday night, as they held off the Matadors 59-55 at the Matadome.
San Jose State won despite committing 27 turnovers, shooting 37 percent from the floor and missing all seven of its three-point shots. On the other hand, CSUN shot just 32 percent from the field, made only one of eight three-point shots and was out-rebounded 59-37.
“We didn’t execute some of the easy things, (but) we made all the tough things happen,” head coach Staci Schulz said.
The Matadors were in position to pick up the win late in the game, holding a 49-47 lead with just over four and a half minutes to play, but a free throw by senior Spartan guard Brittany Imaku and a jumper by junior guard Natalie White put San Jose State into the lead.
The Spartans held onto the lead the rest of the game, although the Matadors had one last chance to force overtime. Trailing 58-55, junior guard Whitney Ligon attempted a three with eight seconds left, but the ball bounced high off the back of the rim and Imaku grabbed the rebound and quickly fed the ball to White, who was fouled by sophomore guard Shanice Howard with one second left. White split a pair of free throws to seal the win.
At the start of the game, CSUN looked like it was the team that would get its first win, as it jumped out to an 11-2 lead. San Jose State climbed back into the game, going on a 13-4 run to take the lead at 7:36. Freshman forward Bianca Davies scored at 6:47 to put the Matadors back in front and a free throw by senior center Katie Holloway made it a two-point game. Junior center Jaime Hall converted a three-point play at 4:22 to put San Jose State back in front 19-18; junior guard Tonicia Tademy nailed a jumper 18 seconds later to put CSUN back in front, but it was the last time the Matadors led in the first half, as a pair of free throws by White vaulted the Spartans back in front and San Jose State scored five more points to lead 28-20. San Jose State took a 28-23 lead into the halftime break.
Ligon led the Matadors with 15 points while Davies had a breakout game with 13 points.
“We really wanted to win this game and I think we gave it our all,” Davies said.
White led the Spartans with 19 points, freshman guard Sayja Sumler had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, junior guard Myosha Barnes scored 10 points and Hall grabbed 10 rebounds.
CSUN will now head up to Missoula Montana to face the Montana Grizzles on Saturday night. Game time is 6 p.m. PST.
