The Matadors women’s basketball team is off to a hot start with a 4-2 record in Big West
Conference play as they have won five out of their last eight games over the
semester break.

“I’m excited for our players,” head coach Jason Flowers said. “I get to witness first-hand the effort they put in on  a day-to-day basis, some of them for a couple years building up to this point.”

Northridge upset 12th-ranked UCLA (7-2) as they outscored the Bruins 46-39 in the second half en route to a 77-72 win. This marked the first time that the women’s basketball team beat UCLA and a nationally ranked opponent. The Matadors had not beaten a Pac-10/12 team since 1996.

Sophomore guard Ashlee Guay reached a career-high 28 points on 9 of 14 shooting against UCLA, and credited the team as a whole for the victory.

“It was a team effort regardless who scored the points,” Guay said. “Whoever’s in the game always plays hard.”

Flowers, a former UCLA graduate and basketball player, was grateful to be a part of this special victory.

“The thing that I’ll always remember about that game was the locker room afterwards,” Flowers said. “The look on their faces, how excited they were, the energy they had, and them earning a memory they’ll have for the rest of their lives.”

Rounding out their non-conference schedule, Northridge traveled to 17th-ranked Oklahoma (10-2), but were unable to achieve back to back upsets. Shooting less than 30 percent as a team, Northridge could not get anything to drop in a 79-57 loss.

Opening their Big West Conference schedule, the Matadors played lockdown defense that held UC Riverside (7-5, 0-1 Big West) to 35 percent shooting in a 65-49 win. Sophomore center Camille Mahlknecht came up big for the Matadors on both sides of the ball, recording her fourth double-double of the young season.

Traveling to CSU Fullerton (5-9, 1-1), Northridge battled most of the night in order to win a close, hard fought game 56-55. A late 11-0 run in the second half put CSUN ahead for good, but Fullerton kept the game close in the last six minutes.

The Titans were held to one field goal in the final 13 minutes of regulation, a buzzer beating lay-up.

Looking for their first win over Long Beach State (9-6, 2-1) since the 2008-2009 season, the Matadors dominated the 49ers in a 73-52 win. Keeping their perfect conference record intact, CSUN led by as many as 25 in the second half, never letting the 49ers mount a comeback.

“We had some emotions in that game and we came out and we played hard and we were really satisfied with the way we played,” sophomore guard Randi Friess said.

Continuing their undefeated conference home play, the Matadors jumped out to the school’s first 4-0 start in conference play with a 59-48 win over UC Irvine (4-12, 0-4).

The Anteaters out-rebounded CSUN, 45-28, but a career-high-tying game by freshman guard Marta Masoni propelled the Matadors. Masoni contributed 20 points, with six 3-pointers, along with three steals and three rebounds.

A poor shooting night against UC Davis (6-9, 1-3) gave the Matadors their first conference loss, 61-46. Unable to get closer than seven points in the second half, Northridge was never able to mount a threat and tied their season low with 46 points.

Facing a Pacific (14-3, 4-1) team that was undefeated at home, Northridge dropped their second consecutive game 60-51. Getting as close as one point in the second half, Pacific pulled away with timely three pointers, easily cruising to a victory.