Nov. 30, 2010

Box Score

Highlights and post-game interviews from Lions' All-Access.

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Junior Candice Nichols registered her first career double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds and freshman Hazel Ramirez added 20 points to help LMU to a 69-52 victory at Cal State Northridge Tuesday night at The Matadome in Northridge, Calif. The Lions (4-3) used an early 17-0 run and 22 offensive rebounds to take down the Matadors (0-7).

Playing without leading scorer junior Alex Cowling, the Lions got 49 combined points from its starting backcourt of Nichols, Ramirez, and sophomore Courtney Collishaw, who contributed eight points. Eight different players got in the scoring column for LMU, who led by as many as 23 in the first half.

Nichols finished with a season-high 21 points while grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds, knocking down 9-of-10 at the free throw line and making four steals. Ramirez chipped in 20 points, her second 20-point outing in three games, sinking five three-pointers and recording four rebounds, four steals, and four assists. Senior Melanie Ysaguirre contributed six points and nine rebounds, six offensive, and freshman Camille Buckley had six points and seven boards.

It was all about the defensive and rebounding efforts for the Lions, who held the Matadors to 37% (17-for-46) shooting while dominating the glass, 47-24. LMU shot 38.3% (23-for-60) overall, 33.3% (8-for-24) from three-point range, and 75% (15-for-20) at the line.

CSUN was led by Jasmine Erving's 15 points, with Janelle Nomura supplying 12.

With Cowling out, LMU turned up the defensive pressure, jumping out to a 17-2 lead by forcing CSUN into six turnovers on its first 10 possessions. After CSUN scored the game's opening basket, a three-pointer by Collishaw and back-to-back three-point plays by Ramirez and Collishaw quickly made it 9-2. The run extended to 17-0 as five different Lions got in on the act and LMU held the Matadors scoreless for nearly five minutes.

The Lions continued to get production from up and down the lineup as seven different players had scored by the 7:45 mark of the first half, when Buckley's put-back made it 30-9. Nichols, in particular, was stepping up to carry the load, equaling her season average with 12 points to help the Lions head into the locker room with a 42-23 lead.

Northridge switched to a zone coming out of halftime but that only opened things up for LMU's shooters as Nichols hit a three and Ramirez connected twice from long distance to extend the Lion lead to 52-28.

The Lions seemed to be falling in love with the three-ball, attempting 11 in a row at one point and 14 of 15 over the next nine minutes. The defense stayed solid, however, as the Lions limited the Matadors to just one bucket over the same timeframe to hold any comeback at bay. LMU also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in the second half.

LMU returns home on Friday to host #12 UCLA at 7 p.m.