CSUN men’s basketball (5-2) secured their second home win of the season Friday night at the Premier America Credit Union Arena, overwhelming the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (0-7) 84-48, and bouncing back from a ten-point home loss last Tuesday to the Le Moyne Dolphins.
It was a strong defensive performance for the Matadors as they held the Delta Devils to 24 points each half. CSUN had four players in double figures, with forward Keonte Jones leading the pack with 17 points on 8-9 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, forward De’Sean Allen-Eikens recorded 14 points with two steals and four assists. He said the team’s mindset shifted heading into the match.
“We had two hard practices this week after losing a tough one at home the other day,” Allen-Eikens said. “So we were just locked in.”
The game started close as both teams exchanged buckets and were tied three times, but an Allen-Eikens jumper in the paint gave the Matadors a 9-7 lead which they would never relinquish. The Matadors eventually built up a double digit lead to end the first half up 17.
“With our defense clicking, it helps our offense go a long way.” Jones said. “Staying consistent, just being us, and playing our side of the game.”
A jumper from Jones two minutes into the second half ignited a 20-4 run for the Matadors, ballooning their lead to 65-34. Jones scored 8 of his 17 points in the sequence, including a jaw-dropping dunk from the left baseline when he posterized Delta Devils guard Donovan Sanders. Eventually the Matadors extended their lead to 37 points en route to a blowout victory.
Jones talked about the impact of his performance for the Matadors in the game Friday night.
“Just staying focused, putting the intensity on defense, and just playing my game the way I’m supposed to be playing,” Jones said.
Defensively the Matadors were solid, recording 12 steals and forcing 23 turnovers. They held the Delta Devils to 35.7% shooting from the field for the game, and 28.6% in the second half.
The Matadors shot 44.8% from the field, and were solid at the free throw line, where they went 78.4%. In addition to their shooting, the Matadors recorded 17 assists, and outrebounded the Delta Devils 43-21.
Allen-Eikens, one of four returnees from last season, further elaborated on the Matadors’ change of mentality this season.
“We’ve been road warriors this season. We got two of our first three from there,” Allen-Eikens said. “I think the mentality is a little different this year than last year’s.”
After this victory, the Matadors traveled to Stockton, California where they defeated the Pacific Tigers 80-69 on the 29th. CSUN will conclude their road trip with a matchup against Northern Colorado on Saturday, December 2nd. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
