After returning home with a 1-1 record from their New York roadtrip to start the season. The CSUN men’s basketball team had a reason to look forward to coming home.
CSUN head coach Andy Newman built something exciting last season, something that a community could get behind. In front of 955 rowdy fans, the most in a home opener since 2019, the Matadors picked up a dominant home win vs. Nobel University on Tuesday night.
The Matadors (2-1) saw four players finish in double-digits as they rolled to a 98-50 win over Nobel (0-2), an NCCAA team.
“It’s really cool to see the excitement back surrounding men’s basketball here at Cal State Northridge,” Newman said. “It’s such a good school with great tradition…really excited about the turnout tonight. Hopefully they saw some exciting basketball and come back and see it again.”
CSUN guard PJ Fuller blew by his season-high in points, just 10 minutes into the game. At the half, it was Fuller who had a game-high of 12 points up to that point. Fuller ended the game with 15 points, tied for a game-high with Matadors forward Marcus Adams Jr.
“As you saw tonight, this team could fill it up, so it’s always good to have that kind of firepower here,” Newman said of the team’s offensive capabilities. “Super excited about that.”
Matadors forward Keonte Jones nearly posted a triple-double. Jones finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists as he led the team with 26 minutes played. It’s the second double-double Jones has posted in the young season, but Newman says Jones’ contributions off the court is what makes him so valuable to the program.
“He’s been great…he’s such a leader, he knows what we want, he knows what this program represents,” Newman said. “What his productivity is, is far beyond the stat sheet with his leadership and all the intangibles. How he goes is how we go.”
Newman made an emphasis to improve the team’s shooting throughout the offseason through roster additions. Across the Matadors’ two wins, the team has averaged a 54 percent shot percentage from the field.
The Matadors got off to a fast start offensively as they let the ball fly from the three point line. In the first half, Fuller was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc as the Matadors shot 8-14 from the three point line.
CSUN dropped 53 points as Nobel had no answer for the Matadors’ up-tempo offense. More importantly, CSUN wasn’t afraid to dish out the ball. The Matadors had 13 assists in the first half and finished the game with 25.
Jones had a career-high of seven assists, something he says is part of the evolution of his game.
“Right now they are scouting me as a driver, so me just getting to my spots, getting downhill, drawing two (defenders), and kicking out to my shooters has just been fantastic,” Jones noted.
The second half saw the Matadors continue to add onto their lead. CSUN saw 13 players get minutes in the closing half as the Matadors’ lead ballooned up to 53 points at one point.
CSUN had 46 points off the bench in an impressive display of depth. It was another productive game for Adams Jr. who had 15 points off the bench. Despite being named a starter on opening night, Adams Jr. came off the bench for the second game in a row, but Newman says it’s not indicative of what his role will look like.
“We’re still trying to figure it out, it’s game three,” Newman finished with. “It’s gonna change six more times before the season is over. We’re just trying to find the right combination to start and finish games.”
The Matadors will head to Sacramento State to take on the Hornets on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
