Box Score NORTHRIDGE, CALIF. — When the Mustangs stepped on the floor inside The Matadome on Wednesday night, they recognized they were underdogs — a high-level NAIA program playing an NCAA Division 1 opponent fresh off a conference title and trip to the national tournament.
They recognized 6-foot-4 senior Channon Fluker, among the best centers in the country. They were aware of guard Serafina Maulupe as well.
The uncertainty came when Cal State Northridge settled into a defense Master's hadn't expected and had practiced against all of once in the preseason — only the Matadors never really settled, hounding TMU's ball-handlers for three-fourths of the floor and taking up an active 2-3 zone.
"That zone threw us for a loop," said coach Dan Waldeck. "We had to adjust on the fly."
The Mustangs improvised, growing more comfortable as the game progressed and eventually cutting CSUN's lead to two early in the fourth quarter. The Matadors outscored TMU by 11 over the next four minutes and ultimately prevailed 71-64. But Waldeck was pleased with his team's response.
"We got way better as the night went on," Waldeck said. "But it was literally like we're teaching at halftime, 'Hey, try this and do this.' We put in two plays at halftime."
One sequence summed up the Mustangs' in-game improvement. With a minute left in the fourth quarter, Brooke Bailey caught the ball in the corner and bounced a pass inside to freshman Stephanie Soares.
Soares, who scored 11 points, pulled down eight boards and blocked five shots in her college debut, whipped the ball to Hannah Forrar at the top of the key. Forrar sprinted down the lane for a left-handed finish as the shot clock buzzed.
"To play against a zone like we did and score 64 points against it, that's pretty awesome," said sophomore Anika Neuman, who finished with eight points and seven rebounds. "I think we handled ourselves really well."
Five Mustangs scored at least eight points — highlighted by Forrar's 11 — on a night TMU shot 36% from the floor and made 8-of-25 three-pointers.
The Mustangs defense largely contained Fluker, a two-time Big West Player of the Year, holding her to 14 points on 15 shots. Maulupe, a preseason All-Big West pick, finished with five points on 11 shots. But too many times TMU lost track of Destiny Brooks.
Brooks hit 5-of-13 three-point tries, several of them wide open, for a game-high 19 points. When CSUN's shots didn't fall in the fourth quarter, a Matador often ripped down the rebound.
"In the third quarter, we were battling on the glass," Neuman said, "and in the fourth quarter, we got tired."
It was a stark change from the first half when the Mustangs out-rebounded the Matadors and trailed by only one point at the break. Soares blocked four shots before intermission and her sister, Jessica, showed the improvement teammates and coaches have spoken of, holding her own down low against a tall, physical CSUN front line.
Master's trailed 51-45 after three quarters. The Matadors flirted with blowing the game open in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs wouldn't go away.
With 6:48 to play, Stephanie Soares caught the ball at the free throw line, ripped through, and drove to the basket, finishing with her left hand to cut the deficit to 57-55.
Brooks buried a 3-pointer at the other end, and the Matadors were off on what became a 13-2 run. It mirrored last season's meeting when TMU trailed by one at halftime before the Matadors went on a 14-0 run.
Still, these Mustangs are just getting started.
"I think as a team we did a great job of playing together," Stephanie Soares said.
