By Tim Heiduk
November 25, 2020
 
(NORTHRIDGE, Calif.) Westmont men's basketball outscored NCAA Division I CSU Northridge by 10 points in the second half, but a 28-point halftime deficit was too big to overcome, as the Warriors fell to the Matadors, 79-97, on Wednesday. The season-opening game was considered an exhibition for Westmont but a countable matchup for CSUN.
 
"It was great to be back on the court tonight," first-year head coach Landon Boucher said. "It felt somewhat normal, even though there were COVID protocols like the [spaced-out] seating on the bench, but once we got in the game it did feel normal. I thought that our guys really fought hard, the full game.
 
"Sometimes when you get down early in the first half, it's easy to just send it home and not give a great effort, but I was really proud of how we won the second half even though we were down by 28 at half. We showed that we have character and we never give up. It showed that our guys really care for each other and we have pride in doing well."
 
Abram Carrasco, the reigning Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year, led all scorers with 28 points, which included 17 in the second half.
 
"Bram was really good and showed that he could easily play at that level," Boucher said. "I thought that he carried us offensively when we were in droughts. He never gave up as well and kept fighting."
 
Westmont was originally scheduled to begin its 2020-21 season on Nov. 14 against, but that game was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test from the Warriors' prospective opponent, Saint Katherine. Wednesday marked the team's first live game action against an opponent since March 6.
 
"It was a really good chance to see us in a game and now we know what we need to work on," Boucher said. "I'm excited to have some practices with some stuff that we know we need to work on."
 
Westmont's long layoff between games did not seem to affect the Warriors in the early going, with the visitors taking an early lead. Senior transfer Ajay Singh scored six of Westmont's first 10 points to put the Warriors ahead 10-5. Then with Westmont holding a 12-8 advantage, CSUN went on a 10-0 run to give the Matadors an 18-12 lead, one they would not relinquish.
 
That 10-0 run was one of three such streaks by the Matadors in the first half alone, allowing the home team to take a 59-31 lead into halftime.
 
While any perceived rust did not affect the Warriors early on, it was found throughout the first half in the form of their 3-point shooting, with CSUN holding a 21-point first half advantage on 3-pointers. In the opening 20 minutes, the Matadors shot eight for 18 (44.4%) from downtown, compared to just one for nine (11.1%) for the Warriors. Westmont did not make a triple until Carrasco, who also led the team with six assists, did so with 1:34 remaining before halftime.
 
Minus Cade Roth and Tristan Lloyd due to injury, the Warriors were outmanned on the boards in the first half, with CSUN winning the rebounding battle, 28-13, including a 13-4 advantage in offensive rebounds.
 
"Not having Cade Roth was really felt tonight because he's such an important piece of what we do offensively, but also defensively as well," Boucher said. "I'm looking forward to having him back next week.
 
"Also not having Tristan Lloyd also stunted us because he's another big body who can rebound and defend. He can also shoot the three really well, so having both those guys back will be a huge difference."
 
Westmont was able to turn its fortunes around in the second half, only being outrebounded by one after halftime. The Warriors won the battle on the offensive glass in the second period, eight to six.
 
Westmont's 3-point shooting also picked up after the break, as the Warriors shot seven for 21 (33.3%) from behind the arc. After it took almost 18-and-a-half minutes to hit a triple in the first half, it took Westmont just over a minute into the second half to do so, when Jared Brown connected from distance.
 
Perhaps even more impressively, after committing 11 first-half turnovers, Westmont only turned the ball over once after halftime and won the overall turnover margin for the game, 12-13.
 
"I think this team has a really high ceiling," Boucher said. "We didn't play our best tonight, but I thought that we competed at our best. We tried our hardest and our effort wasn't the issue. It was just the newness of the team, execution and the newness of the basketball season as a whole.
 
"I'm looking forward to building on this. The guys understand what we could've done better and the guys understand that we need to improve in those areas. When we do get a chance to work on those things going forward, it's going to be good."
 
Brown (four rebounds) was the lone other Warrior to join Carrasco (four rebounds) in double figures, scoring 13 points, 10 of which came in the first half. Boucher highlighted the minutes played by Tyler Austin (eight points, seven rebounds) and Gyse Hulsebosch (six points).
 
Singh finished with nine points and four rebounds in his first game as a Warrior, while Hunter Sipe (seven points, seven rebounds) and Noah Fernando (eight points, four rebounds) also provided valuable contributions.
 
The matchup in Northridge marked a homecoming of sorts for both Fernando, a Northridge native, and assistant coach Jeff Azain, who played at CSUN before transferring to Westmont in 1983.
 
The Warriors are scheduled to travel to Stockton to take on the University of the Pacific, in another exhibition game, on Dec. 4.
 
"Going into Pacific, who's another very good Division I team, it'll be another opportunity for us to evaluate what we can do better and move from there," Boucher said. "Ultimately, I'm really proud of the first game effort that we gave.
 
"We have a lot to learn from this. It hurts and leaves a sour taste in our mouths, but we have a lot to build off of and it will help us in the long run."