Upset-minded Cal State Northridge takes aim at USC

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Nearly a year to the day after upsetting UCLA, Cal State Northridge aims for its second win in as many seasons over a local power-conference program when it travels to face Southern California on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

In reaching its highest win total since 2007-08, Cal State Northridge stunned the host Bruins 76-72 on Dec. 19, 2023. The Matadors (7-3) will try to replicate that feat against the Bruins' crosstown Big Ten Conference rival USC, which is 5-1 against them. The Matadors' only win over USC came in 2005.

The Trojans (7-4) last faced the Matadors of the Big West Conference in November 2021 and rolled to an 89-49 blowout. Plenty has changed for both programs in the three years since, including their coaching staffs.

CSUN is in its second season under coach Andy Newman, who led nearby Division II program Cal State San Bernardino to the NCAA Tournament semifinals in 2023. Newman has revamped the long-struggling Matadors.

Through their first 10 games this season, the Matadors are averaging 82.1 points per game behind a trio of players each averaging more than 14 ppg: BYU transfer Marcus Adams at 15.2,

Keonte Jones at 14.9 and Scotty Washington at 14.3.

The versatile Jones is also averaging 8.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, leading CSUN in a pair of categories where it ranks well nationally. The Matadors are No. 22 in rebounding (41.5 per game) and No. 66 in assists (16.2 per game).

The Matadors had 47 rebounds and 18 assists in their last game, a 102-91 win at Cal Poly on Dec. 7.

"We've got to tune some things up, but I thought our guys defended, played with intent and rebounded the ball well," Newman said.

In its first season under coach Eric Musselman, USC looks to extend its winning streak to three games, coming off an 89-63 rout of Montana State on Sunday.

Desmond Claude finished with 19 points to improve his team-leading output to 14.1 points per game. He came away with a steal and blocked shot, while Saint Thomas added 17 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals in a game that Musselman hopes USC can build on defensively.

"We had some really, really physical practices for sure, which when you don't play as well as you like, you do that," he said of the team's change in preparation after dropping three straight from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4. "Quite frankly, we called a bunch of NBA teams, too, and asked for defensive drills. I thought that helped us because they were just completely new and different than what they'd seen."

--Field Level Media