Twice as Nice: CSUN Women's Basketball Repeats as Big West Champions

ANAHEIM, Calif. –-- The CSUN Women's Basketball Team defeated the University of Hawai'i 67-60 in the Big West Tournament Final at Honda Center to take home the conference title for the second-straight year. Ashlee Guay earned Tournament MVP honors for the second-straight year by scoring a game-high 22 points and Janae Sharpe also earned All-Tournament honors for a second-straight year after adding 20 points for the victorious Matadors.

The Matadors now await their seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Tournament's selection show will be broadcast live on ESPN at 4 p.m. PT // 7 p.m. ET.

CSUN led for the majority of the contest in successfully defending their league title. The Matadors held a 27-20 advantage at halftime and withstood several Rainbow Wahine challenges in the second half to claim the victory.

The 23 wins establish a new program record for the Matadors, passing the 1988-89 team's 22 wins for the most in school history. CSUN also snapped Hawai'i's 15-game winning streak Saturday, the second time this season that the Matadors have halted an opponent's 15-game winning streak. The Matadors ended Long Beach State's streak with a win at the Walter Pyramid on Jan. 24.

Guay finished 8-of-18 from the field and added five rebounds and six assists. She is now seventh in Big West Conference history with 537 career assists.

Sharpe finished 6-of-17 from the field and added six rebounds and two 3-pointers. Fellow seniors Camille Mahlknecht added four points and six rebounds and Cinnamon Lister totaled nine points, four rebounds and four steals.

After Hawai'i scored the first four points of the game, CSUN rallied and held a lead early for the majority of the first half. Hawai'i reclaimed the lead at 14-11 with about nine minutes to play. From that point, CSUN rolled off a 16-6 run to close the half. Guay canned a 3-pointer in the Matadors' final possession to help give CSUN momentum in the second half.

In the second, the teams traded baskets early and CSUN held a 33-30 lead with about 17 minutes to play. The Matadors kept the Rainbow Wahine at arms' reach, but Hawai'i closed to within three points with about 11 minutes left in the game.

The Matadors would not allow Hawai'i to get any closer than four the rest of the way. Sharpe connected on a 3-pointer with less than a minute to play to seal the victory.

For the game, CSUN shot 31.3 percent (20-of-64) from the field and 35.7 percent (5-of-14) from 3-point range. Hawai'i finished at 34.4 percent (22-of-64) from the field and 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from 3-point range.

CSUN got 15 points off 18 Hawai'i turnovers. Freshman Megan Huff led the Rainbow Wahine with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

The Matadors have now won nine-straight games and will find out their place in the NCAA Tournament on Monday.

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Team Stats

Ashlee Guay

Janae Sharpe

Cinnamon Lister

Camille Mahlknecht

Players Mentioned

Camille Mahlknecht

Janae Sharpe