2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Men's Basketball Championship Second Round - No. 4 seed CSUN 80, No. 5 seed UC San Diego 70

Box Score | CSUN Presser | UCSD Presser | Game Highlights
HENDERSON, Nev. -- No. 4 seed CSUN (20–13, 12–8 Big West) defeated No. 5 seed UC San Diego (23–11, 12–8 Big West) 80–70 on Thursday at Lee's Family Forum in the second round of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Men's Basketball Championship. The Matadors secured the win with a strong second-half performance, outscoring the Tritons 48–34 after trailing by four at halftime. CSUN capitalized on turnovers, scoring 12 points off UC San Diego's 15 giveaways, and dominated the paint with 34 points.

The Matadors opened the game with a strong inside presence, scoring 16 points in the paint and converting nine fastbreak points in the opening frame. Larry Hughes II led CSUN with 17 points at the half. The Tritons made five 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, including four from Tom Beattie, and led at halftime, 36–32.

CSUN surged in the second half, outscoring the Tritons by 14 points as Hughes II scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. As a team, the Matadors converted 65 percent from the field in the latter 20 minutes of the game, including five 3-pointers, while limiting UC San Diego to 36 percent shooting. The Matadors' defense forced six turnovers, and at the final buzzer, CSUN secured an 80–70 victory.

Hughes II stood out for the Matadors in the game with 34 points, hitting 14-of-25 field goal attempts, including six 3-pointers. Josiah Davis also made a significant contribution, scoring 14 points and providing a team-high nine assists. Joshua O'Garro added depth to the offense with 15 points and contributed two blocks. Mahmoud Fofana was a force on the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds and also providing two blocks. 

The Tritons were led in scoring by Beattie with a team-high 22 points, including five 3-pointers, alongside five assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. Hudson Mayes scored 17 points and dished out four assists. Leo Beath provided support with 11 points and led in rebounds with six. 

The fourth-seeded Matadors take on top-seeded UC Irvine in the 2026 Credit Union1 Big West Championship semifinals, Friday March 13 at 6 p.m.