Turnovers doomed the Matadors as they fell to the University of San Francisco Dons on Monday, Dec. 7, 65-61.

The Matadors committed 17 turnovers, which led to 19 Dons points. Their inability to value possession was made worse by the fact that they only accumulated 11 assists.

Turnovers were magnified considering that neither team lead by more than eight the whole game, and that San Francisco did not fare much better when it came to holding on to the ball, turning it over 12 times while having 11 assists as well.

Also, the Matadors had their best 3-point shooting night of the young season, making 7-13 shots from beyond the arc, while also holding the Dons to a 7-18 mark from the 3-point line.

In addition to an advantage from the outside, the CSUN also out-rebounded San Francisco by eight, making the loss even more puzzling.

Again, this was all for naught as the Matadors captured an early 8-2 lead, before allowing the Dons to go on a 16-2 run, allowing them to capture the lead for good.

CSUN would actually climb back into the game, as they tied the game three separate times in the second half. However, they could not find that extra run to recapture the lead, even as they tied the game at 49 with six minutes remaining.

The loss was damaging for the Matadors considering that it was played at a pace that favored their shortened bench, with neither team scoring on fast breaks and the Matadors having 21 bench points.

After their fifth straight defeat, CSUN will have time to regroup and clean up their execution, as they don’t play until Dec. 17, when they travel to Portland to face the Portland State University Vikings at 7 p.m.