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Hot Streak Could Keep Matadors Dancing in March

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  By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports


Cal State Northridge is making a run in the Big West, and people might need to start paying attention.

Last week, I focused on UC Irvine and Hawai’i. This week, I zero in on the Matadors ahead of their home game on Thursday against the Anteaters.

I know there are a million things to do in L.A., but attending a CSUN game is becoming one of the better choices for basketball aficionados.


The Run and the Three-Headed Monster

On January 24th, CSUN was 11-10 and had lost three in a row, after Hawaii decimated them by 21 points.

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Their season felt over.

One month later, the Matadors are 18-10, having won seven in a row, including recent victories over two of the league’s top teams to move into a three-way tie at the top of the conference.

What’s the flavor?

The biggest takeaway from their box scores is that multiple players can get jiggy with it.

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During the Matadors’ seven-game winning streak, they’ve had two different players score at least 30 points in a game, and three with 20.

Josiah Davis scored 31 in an overtime victory over Santa Barbara last Thursday, and Larry Hughes II had 32 against Cal Poly on February 5th.

Mahmoud Fofana also had back-to-back 22-point games entering 2026.

Josiah Davis
Josiah Davis vs Hawai’i | Chuck Marvel/CSUN Athletics

This three-headed monster on offense has proven too much for opponents during this streak. Davis, Hughes II, and Fofana have combined for at least 78 points in their last seven contests.

Hughes II leads the team, averaging 18.2 points per game, while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.

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CSUN’s dramatic run could probably have been predicted after they went on a seven-game run last year, around the same time.

But the Matadors lost number eight to UC San Diego last season, and faltered down the stretch, losing their first game in both the Big West and NIT tournaments.

Now, just like last year, they have a chance to host a top team at Premier America Credit Union Arena.

But the outcome remains unwritten.

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Head Coach Andy Newman a Proven Winner

Andy Newman has instantly turned California State Northridge into a contender. Before his arrival, the Matadors hadn’t had a winning campaign since 2008-09.

Newman’s fast-paced offense has brought the Matadors to life

He’s also bringing wins to the Valley. CSUN is on pace for 20 dubs this year, having grabbed 22 a season ago, and 19 in his inaugural campaign.

The key to the Matadors’ success this season has been their dynamic offense, which ranks 59th in the nation in points per game.

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But this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Andy Newman
CSUN Athletics

Newman promised to bring “an exciting, fast paced, team-oriented style of basketball back to the valley” when he was hired, and to do it “by lighting up the scoreboard and competing for championships.”

He has done just that.

Before Cal State Northridge, he won everywhere he coached, bringing a 206-98 record to Northridge.

He was already known within Big West circles after serving as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton for 10 years.

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Newman was also an interim Head Coach for the Titans in 2012-13, when CSUF had the best offense in the conference.

He led Cal State Northridge to the First Round of the NIT last year. This season, if they keep winning, the Matadors could find themselves in the NCAA Tournament.

Nick Bartlett
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West Ham have fresh hope – but Spurs now in uncharted territory

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After a season of turmoil, at last some light at the end of the tunnel for West Ham.

Friday’s thumping 4-0 win over Wolves – their biggest of the season so far – lifted West Ham out of the Premier League relegation zone, and plunged London rivals Tottenham into it.

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Just three points now separate four teams in the battle to avoid the third relegation spot, with Wolves and Burnley both cut further adrift.

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West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo insisted there was still “a lot of work to do” – but enjoyed a “big step” towards safety after Taty Castellanos and Konstantinos Mavropanos both scored twice at London Stadium.

“We are happy, extremely happy,” he told Sky Sports. “All of us deserve this kind of evening, especially our fans.

“The London Stadium today was amazing, bouncing with energy and helping us in the hard parts.”

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But while West Ham fans were bouncing, Tottenham supporters watching at home were likely slumping further into their armchairs as each goal went in.

Spurs, who face Sunderland on Sunday in new boss Roberto de Zerbi’s first game in charge, are now in completely uncharted territory.

So what next?

A place Spurs have never been before

While Spurs have flirted with the bottom three for the past two seasons – even during their spectacular run to Europa League glory only 11 months ago – this is the first time they have actually occupied the relegation zone since 2015.

On that occasion, the league season was only one game old and Tottenham – then managed by Mauricio Pochettino – had lost their opener against Manchester United, but recovered to finish the campaign in third place.

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To find the last time Spurs were in the relegation zone past the midway point of a campaign, you have to go back to February 1998 – when they sat 18th after 24 games.

But after 31 matches? That has never happened in the Premier League era. This is another new low.

What will worry Spurs fans even more is that across 31 Premier League seasons, a team occupying 18th place after 31 matches has been relegated on 21 occasions.

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Premier League bottom six

[BBC]

“When I look at the Tottenham team… where’s your match-winner? Who’s going to win you the game?” said ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports.

“When I look at Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, they have moments – that’s the important thing.

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“And that’s now put almighty pressure on Tottenham Hotspur, who have to go and beat Sunderland in their next game. That’s not an easy fixture.

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“Anything can happen. There will still be twists and turns. West Ham have only got to lose their next game at Crystal Palace next week and they’re right back in it.

“It’s very difficult to predict. But you need calm heads and what West Ham did today – look a threat from set-pieces, a real threat from your best players – you give yourself a real chance.”

After their trip to the Stadium of Light, four of Tottenham’s six remaining games are against teams in the top half of the table. They still have to go to Aston Villa and Chelsea, both chasing Champions League football.

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But while the stats suggest 18th position is not the place to be after 31 games, not all the data is doom and gloom for Spurs.

Of the 17 times a team has been on 30 points after 31 games (Tottenham’s current tally), only six were relegated. It is something to cling on to.

Which other teams are battling for survival?

There are sure to be plenty more twists and turns in the final weeks of the season.

But, after their hard-fought and well-deserved win against Wolves, West Ham’s players can at least breathe a sigh of relief as attention turns to their relegation rivals – Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Spurs – for the rest of the weekend.

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Up first are Forest, who host Champions League-chasing Aston Villa at 14:00 BST on Sunday, after a gruelling Europa League quarter-final first leg against Porto on Thursday.

Later in the day, Spurs, as mentioned, will have to inflict just a fourth home defeat of the season on an impressive Sunderland side if they are to move out of the relegation zone at the first time of asking.

Leeds – one point and two places above West Ham – round off the weekend’s fixtures on Monday when they travel to Manchester United.

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But it will not be easy against one of their fiercest rivals – Daniel Farke’s men have not won at Old Trafford in the league since 1981.

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A favourable weekend of fixtures for the Hammers then?

It is little wonder West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen admitted he would be keeping a close eye on the television over the weekend.

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“I’ve got three kids to entertain but I will keep an eye on the games,” added Bowen. “We have a bit of time before the game against Palace then go again.

“The spirit, the togetherness is so important in this situation. You can always have quality, but you need grit and desire and a will to win through the whole squad.

“The only thing we know as a club is to keep fighting and doing what we’re doing and take it into the next six games.”

Opta predicted table

Opta’s supercomputer still predicts that West Ham are more likely to finish in 18th than Tottenham [BBC]

Edwards sticking to ‘same message’ – but was this it for Wolves?

While those above them continue to battle it out for Premier League survival, it looks almost certain that Wolves’ race is run.

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Fifteen points from safety with just 18 points left to play for, their relegation could be confirmed as early as next Saturday if results go against them.

They have been made to pay for a dreadful first half of the season, failing to win any of their opening 19 games and picking up just three points in the process.

Defender Ladislav Krejci apologised to the fans after their defeat at London Stadium – “not just for this game but the situation in the table”.

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But manager Rob Edwards would not be drawn on whether it was a result that killed any remaining hope.

“For us it is the same message,” he told Sky Sports. We have to try to finish strong, respect every game and go for it.

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“We are all under the microscope and we have to make sure we perform.”

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Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor Prediction and Betting Tips

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Galatasaray look to take a step closer to a fourth consecutive league title when they host a weaker Kocaelispor at the Rams Park Stadyumu on Sunday in the 29th round of the 2025-26 Super Lig campaign. The Lions have remained atop the league table for almost the entirety of the league season and now need a couple more wins to finish the job.

Galatasaray suffered a disappointing loss to third-placed Trabzonspor last weekend, but returned to winning ways on Wednesday with a comfortable 3-1 win over Goztepe, retaining their four-point cushion above Fenerbahce and Karadeniz Fırtınası.

Okan Buruk’s side have clearly missed the presence of star striker Victor Osimhen, who is out injured with a broken arm, but will hope to continue their charge to match their own record for consecutive league titles (4).

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Kocaelispor, on the other hand, would have begun the season with the aim of securing survival in their first campaign back in the Turkish top flight since 2008-09, but have exceeded expectations, currently sitting in eighth place as they chase a top-half finish.

The visitors have only one win from their last six games following a goalless draw with Istanbul Basaksehir on Monday and will need to make major improvements when they visit a much better side.


Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

  • The sides have met on 44 previous occasions going into the weekend. Galatasaray have won 27 of those games, and nine have ended in draws while Kocaelispor have won the remaining eight.
  • November’s meeting between the two teams marked the first edition of this fixture since the 2008-09 season and ended in a shock 1-0 win to Kocaelispor.
  • The hosts boast the best offensive and defensive records in the league this season, having scored 66 goals and conceded only 21 across 28 games played.
  • Kocaelispor hold the second-worst offensive record in the Turkish top flight this season, with only 23 goals scored after 28 games played.
  • The injured Victor Osimhen has contributed directly to 16 of Galatasaray’s 66 league goals this season in just 19 games.

Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor Prediction

With the odds strongly in favor of the Lions, Okan Buruk will be keen to see his side get revenge on the visitors after losing the reverse fixture and, hopefully, gain more ground in their title charge.

Körfez, meanwhile, can only hope to avoid a heavy defeat against a side with just two home league losses in the last four seasons.

Prediction: Galatasaray 3-1 Kocaelispor

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Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor Betting Tips

Tip 1 – Result: Galatasaray to win

Tip 2 – Goals- Over/under 2.5 – Over 2.5 goals (Four of the hosts’ last five games have produced more than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 – Both teams to score: Yes