LE MOYNE (1-4) vs. California State University, Northridge (3-1)
Tuesday, Nov. 21 – 10:00 p.m.
Northridge, California
Video: ESPN+
Radio: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
 
Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne men’s basketball team begins its Golden State Hoops Jam journey Tuesday night with a matchup against California State University, Northridge (CSUN).
 
CSUN, a member of the Big West Conference, is off to a hot start. After dropping their opener in an 88-79 loss to Stanford, the Matadors have rattled off three straight wins. Victories over Idaho (76-73), Chicago State (74-64), and Life Pacific (98-67) have CSUN sitting at 3-1.
 
The Matadors opening stretch comes as a surprise. Before the 2023-24 campaign began, CSUN was picked to finish 10th out of 11 teams in the Big West Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Matadors won just seven games last season, all coming at home. And it took CSUN 11 games to record its third win a year ago.
 
The team is led by graduate student De’Sean Allen-Eikens. The forward is off to a fantastic start in 2023, averaging 19.5 points. The North Dakota native has at least 18 points in every contest this season. Allen-Eikens is shooting 56% from the field and over 45% from beyond the arc. He is also a strong rebounder, ranking third on the team with 6.5 boards a game.
 
Guard Dionte Bostick is a legitimate threat on offense too. Bostick scored 20 points in each of his last two games. Against LIFE Pacific, he hit four threes, a season high. The junior is shooting a strong 46.7% from three-point range so far. And on defense, Bostick averages 1.5 steals and has three blocks on the year. The Floridian has played the most minutes out of any CSUN player in its four games.
 
Junior Keonte Jones is off to a nice start as well. He’s scored in double digits in three consecutive outings. Jones averages 12 points and leads the team in rebounding. The forward snags 7.5 boards a game, including a strong 13-rebound effort against LIFE Pacific. Jones also leads the team with five blocks. He has fouled out in half of his appearances this season.
 
Center Dearon Tucker is a strong presence on the boards. He has at least six rebounds in every game this year. Tucker’s last time out, he wiped ten off the glass. The senior also has a block in each of his last three contests.
 
Guard Jared Barnett rounds out the Matadors’ offense. He’s averaging just 2.5 points but has been dominant as a distributor. The graduate student leads CSUN by far in assists, tallying nearly six a game. He is also the Matadors’ co-leader in steals with seven.
 
CSUN has scored at least 70 points in each of its four games this season. The Matadors won by 31 their last time out, the squad’s biggest victory in almost a year.
 
Le Moyne travels to Northridge following a tough 96-72 defeat to another Big West member, the University of California Santa Barbara. The loss dropped the Dolphins to 1-4 on the young season.
 
Junior Ocypher Owens led Le Moyne in points for the second straight contest, putting up 16. The forward had a well-rounded effort, tallying four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal as well. Owens’ effort brought his season average up to 10.6 points per game.
 
Graduate student Luke Sutherland was strong for the Dolphins against the Gauchos. The forward had 13 points and hit two three-pointers. Sutherland has hit at least two from deep in three of the five games this season. He added four rebounds in the loss.
 
Guard Isaiah Salter shined on both sides of the court against UCSB. The graduate student had 13 points, hit two threes, and shot over 50% from the field. On defense, Salter led the team with three steals. He has recorded at least two steals in four contests this year.
 
Guards AJ Dancler and Nate McClure produced too in the loss. Dancler and McClure combined for 21 points. Dancler, a freshman, had four assists on the night. McClure hit two threes during and snagged two steals.
 
Le Moyne’s matchup with CSUN is its first of two games in the Golden State Hoops Jam. The Dolphins also face off against the University of the Pacific on Friday in Stockton, California.