The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

Loading Recent Classifieds...
The Girls Who Code club met together in Sierra Hall, on Friday, Sept. 15, in Northridge, Calif. Club members played around with a program to create a virtual game.
The CSUN club that’s encouraging women in STEM
Miya Hantman, Reporter • September 18, 2023

CSUN’s Girls Who Code club is just one of many across many campuses and countries, including 110 in...

Students form a crowd for DJ Mal-Ski on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Northridge, Calif.
Matador Nights carnival makes a splash at the USU
Ryan Romero, Sports Editor • September 21, 2023

The University Student Union hosted “Matador Nights” on Sept. 8 from 7 p.m. to midnight. The...

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock by FiledIMAGE.
Women’s Soccer has Closed the Competitive Gap
Luis Silva, Reporter • September 19, 2023

There is no longer a significant competitive gap in the sport of women’s soccer. There is a brighter...

The line for concert merchandise on the second night of The Eras Tour in Paradise, Nev., on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
My experience at The Eras Tour
Miley Alfaro, Sports Reporter • September 18, 2023

It’s been a long time coming. I began watching The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift’s ongoing concert trek,...

Within the Oaxacan town of Asuncion Nochixtlan, we find my mother’s birthplace, Buena Vista. Photo taken July 29, 2023.
I Love Being Mexican
September 12, 2023
A student holds up a sign during a rally outside of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2023.
CSU board approves tuition increase amid protests
Trisha Anas, Editor in Chief • September 15, 2023

The California State Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a 6% tuition increase for the next five...

group of mena and women touching hands
Miracles In Action Restores Patients’ Lives and Actualizes their Potential

Women’s basketball wins first game of Big West Tournament

The women’s basketball team etched out a win against No. 5 seed UC Riverside Thursday in overtime, advancing the team in the Big West Tournament with a 62-58 victory.

The Matadors entered the tournament as winners of 10 out of their last 13 games. One of their three losses was just a week prior at home against the same UC Riverside team.

The ladies were looking for redemption on Thursday.

The first half started off slow with neither team shooting more than 30 percent from the field. However, the Matadors took an early 20-19 halftime lead, which was primarily sparked by a 10 point first half effort from Krisztina Fuleki.

The two teams shot poorly during the first half and fans appeared to be more interested, at times, in the half-time competition between the two school mascots, which the Matadors handily won.

The second half, however, was a different story for both teams, each coming out red-hot. Riverside started off the half with a quick lay-up to take an early second half lead. Only a few seconds later, Matador Fuleki took a mid-range jump shot to tie up the game.

The Matadors had trouble containing the 6 foot 1 inch freshman Kemie Nkele of Riverside as she scored 11 of her 16 points during the second half.

During the last three minutes of the game, both teams began to show frustration at not being able to close each other out.

Instead, the teams just traded baskets and points.

Junior forward Heather Cushing scored three momentum-shifting field goals against Riverside’s Nkele, who was a dominating force in mid-court throughout the game.

With a little over a minute to go, the Matadors had only a one-point lead. That was when Ofa Tulikihihifo, who just returned from a knee injury, hit a crucial mid-range jumper with 32 seconds remaining, giving the ladies a three-point lead.

Then UC Riverside’s Cassandra Reeves hit a three-pointer squaring the game at 50 and sending it into overtime.

“Well, that wasn’t how we drew it up, but it happened, and that’s what makes (a) game exciting,” said Tammy Holder, women’s Matador basketball coach, regarding CSUN’s defense against UC Riverside’s regulation ending three-pointer.

The extended period was dominated by CSUN, with Tulikihihifo, scoring nine of the Matadors final 12 points, delivering the CSUN women a victory and chance to take on the No. 1 seeded Santa Barbara in the semifinals.

Early in the overtime period, Highlander center, Nkele, fouled out of the game. With Nkele on the bench, the Matadors got their opportunity to dominate.

Junior forward Tulikihihifo showed no signs of tiring, by scoring all of the field goals for CSUN in the five-minute overtime.

“You have to give them credit, they were very aggressive,” said John Margaritis, UC Riverside’s coach regarding the Matador defense.

More to Discover