It was an emotional night for the Matador women, as they watched Katrina Thompson play her last game at the Matadome, Saturday afternoon on senior night. Unfortunately, UC Irvine put a dent in Thompson’s special night by defeating the Matadors 82-67.
Thompson was able to score 14 points and grab nine rebounds, before fouling out.
It has been a season filled with much despair for Northridge (4-21, 2-11 Big West), and not being able to give Thompson a win in her final outing at home doesn’t sit well with most Matadors.
“(Thompson) deserves so much more than the team is giving her,” Bridgette Conejo said. “It is unfortunate that we are having a season like this. She is an extremely hard worker and does everything for us. It is sad that Thompson possibly may go out in a bad way.”
CSUN head coach Staci Schulz added, “Thompson is the poster child for the program and for the athletic program. She is respected in the athletic department. She is a coach’s type of player and always tries to do what I ask. Thompson will be hard to replace.”
Other players tried to help Thompson get a win on senior night. Individuals like point guard Janelle Normura had 15 points and guard Amanda Thompson had a season-high 13 points.
The Anteaters were not distracted by the fans or the fact that it was senior night for the Matadors. Irvine realized they were on a business trip and they proved it.
Before Northridge could blink, they were down 20-0. The Matadors only closed the gap to 13 before halftime. However, in the second half, the lead went all the way up to 26 points, which sealed the game up for Irvine.
The Matadors lost the game due to a couple of reasons. First, the Matadors were held to 32.7 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from the three-point line.
Secondly, the Northridge women’s team had no answers for the Irvine offense. Plenty of Anteaters scored points in double figures. Sophomore forward Mikah Maly-Karros had 20 points in 20 minutes of play.
Senior guard Rebecca Maessesen recorded 14 points and junior guard Jade Smith-Williams scored 13 points.
Lastly, the Matadors did not take care of the ball. They turned the ball over 21 times.
To add salt to the wound, Pacific defeated Long Beach State on Saturday night, putting the Matadors in last place in the Big West standing.
If the Matadors can somehow beat Pacific on the final night of the regular season, they still have a chance to grab the final spot in the Big West Tournament.
