After coming off of the strongest season in CSUN men’s basketball history, the Matadors were poised to continue their streak of success against the Nobel University Knights on Monday night where they won 99-58. Going into the game, they had plenty of reasons to feel confident.
Last year, their matchup ended in a very similar blowout, with CSUN beating the Knights by almost 50 points.
The energy was high as the players warmed up with Eastbay and 360-dunks as Premier America Credit Union Arena filled with students eager to see an exciting season opener.
All expectations were pointing towards a decisive Matadors win in front of a fiery home crowd. The fans were not disappointed as CSUN used their size and strength on the interior to draw the defense in and create open looks for their shooters, while their players wreaked havoc in transition.
Though most of CSUN’s players joined the team this year, they moved the ball like a well-oiled machine. After opening the game 17-2 and firing up the crowd with a buzzer beater to end the first half, the Matadors never gave up their lead.
With the final score of 99-58, the players were visibly enjoying themselves towards the end of the game. After the win, head coach Andy Newman had mixed words for the team.
“Defensively, we’re trying to get better,” Newman said.“Offensively, they were really fun to watch.”
CSUN guard Joshua O’Garro finished the game as the Matadors top scorer, putting up 20 points while hitting three of four three-pointer attempts and grabbing 14 rebounds. He attributed this performance to his new coaching staff.
“They are on me every single day to be the best I can,” he said. “They make sure that I have no days, no minutes, no seconds off.”
CSUN men’s basketball certainly passed the eye test. This season, the new Matadors are fun, explosive and they certainly put on a show for their home crowd.
Their upcoming road trip will take them all the way to Northern Iowa and North Dakota and fans have every reason to be optimistic after a performance like this.
The Matadors turn to play Northern Iowa on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. at the McLead Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
