Preview: Long Beach State at Cal State Northridge LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — A tight Big West Conference rematch is set for Saturday when the Cal State Northridge Matadors host the Long Beach State 49ers in women’s basketball. The Matadors (8-15, 3-7 Big West) will look to avenge a narrow 62-61 road loss to the 49ers just over a month ago, on Jan. 17. That result stands as one of the few bright spots in a difficult season for Long Beach State (3-21, 2-9). Despite their records, both teams feature dynamic individual talents. Long Beach State is led by guard JaQuoia Jones-Brown, who is coming off a 21-point, six-rebound, seven-assist performance in a loss to UC Davis on Feb. 14. Over her last seven games, she is averaging 18.7 points and 3.4 assists while logging heavy minutes. Cal State Northridge counters with forward Jite Gbemuotor, who has been a force in recent victories. She scored 19 points against Hawaii on Feb. 14 and averaged 14 points and 2.3 blocks over a recent three-game stretch that included conference wins over UC Riverside and Cal Poly. Her presence inside will be a key factor. The Matadors have struggled lately, dropping four of their last five, but have performed better at home in conference play. The 49ers, mired in a three-game skid, have found wins elusive but have shown the ability to compete with Northridge. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Matadome. The game will be a critical opportunity for both teams to build momentum heading into the final weeks of the regular season. For Northridge, it’s a chance to even the season series and solidify its conference standing. For Long Beach State, it represents a possibility to replicate prior success and snap its losing streak.