NORTHRIDGE – Following Cal State Northridge’s hot start on offense, UCSB could not keep up as it fell 84-48 in the Matadome on Thursday night.
With the loss, the Gauchos fall to 0-2 in conference play and to 0-15 overall, while the Matadors improve to 12-5 on the season and 2-1 in the Big West.
Leading UCSB in scoring were Onome Jemerigbe and Jasmine Ware with eight points each. Jemerigbe added a team-high five assists to her stat-line, while Ware brought in a team-leading five rebounds. It is the third game in a row that Jemerigbe has recorded five helpers.
In making just her second appearance ever in a Gaucho uniform was Sabrina Callahan who scored seven points to lead UCSB’s bench players. The freshman went 3-4 and hit a three-pointer from the top of the key.
Trailing early in the game, UCSB went on its best run of the game to bring themselves within one of CSUN with 11:29 left in the first half.
CSUN opened the game with a pair of unanswered baskets and rode that momentum out to a 17-8 lead at the14:17 mark. However, UCSB would find a spark on offensive starting with Mi’Chael Wright scoring on a hard fought put back basket.
The sophomore’s blue-collar effort earned her another basket on the Gauchos’ following possession as she worked herself in great position in the low post to make the lay up and cutting the deficit to five points.
Wright’s consecutive baskets ignited an 8-0 run for UCSB, as Chaya Durr and Kristine Brance both added lay ups of their own to move their team within one-point at 17-16.
But as close as they would get, the Gauchos could not hold back CSUN’s offense, which fired off 18 consecutive points to breakaway from UCSB.
From there, the Matadors never looked back and took a 41-25 lead into the halftime break.
In the second half, the Gauchos netted the first basket off a Ware jump shot, but CSUN continued on its offensive tear in scoring 43 second half points.
The Gauchos will be back on the hard court this Saturday in the Thunderdome when they will host Long Beach State at 2 p.m. Tickets for the game are available at the Ticketing Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building, over the phone at 805.893.UCSB (8272), or online here.
