Fluker, Matthews and Maulupe Honored on 2016-17 All-Big West Team

Complete 2016-17 All-Big West Team

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- CSUN women's basketball sophomore Channon Fluker has been named the 2016-17 Big West Conference Player of the Year while rookie Eliza Matthews was named Big West Freshman of the Year and junior Serafina Maulupe earned Second Team All-Big West honors, the league office announced Monday morning. Fluker became the second Matador in school history to be win the conference's top award and earned her second-straight First Team All-Big West award. Matthews led all rookies in rebounds and averaged just under five points for the year while Maulupe ranked among the league's top scorers and 3-point threats.

"I am extremely happy for our three young women who were recognized for what they have done to help our team so far this season. They all are outstanding young people who have worked through adversity to achieve success," said CSUN head coach Jason Flowers. "We look forward to them continually exhibiting their productive habits into this week's conference tournament and for years to come."

In 30 games and 27 starts this season, Fluker was a dominant presence in the paint that appeared on the top of every opponent's scouting report. She averaged 17.4 points, 12 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game during the regular season and could become the first player since Cal State Fullerton's Genia Miller in 1990-91 to lead the league in all three categories when all the games are completed. For the latter part of the year, Fluker has been the only player in NCAA Division I basketball to average at least 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots per game.

In conference play, Fluker upped those averages to 18.2 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. She had a stretch where she won Big West Player of the Week for three-straight weeks during the Big West season and also won it twice in the non-conference season. This year, she also set new school records for rebounds and field goals in a season and enters the Big West Tournament needing 24 points to set a new single-season mark.

Fluker also leads the conference with 19 double-doubles on the season and ranks among the national leaders in NCAA Division I in rebounds, rebounds per game and double-doubles. She scored a season-high 33 points and tied a career high with 15 field goals in CSUN's first win ever at Hawai'i. She had three games of at least 20 rebounds, including a career-high 21 rebounds in a game at Long Beach State. She also had a career-high seven blocked shots twice with both coming against conference rivals. Fluker also dished out a career-high seven assists in a win at Cal State Fullerton.

A 6-1 forward out of Long Beach, Matthews became the third Matador in program history to be named Big West Freshman of the Year and gives CSUN two-straight winners of the award as Fluker won it last year.

Matthews finished the regular season with 160 rebounds in 24 games and 19 starts, an average of 6.7 per game that ranked among the league's top 10. She also averaged 6.5 rebounds in 15 Big West games, grabbing 97 boards to again lead all rookies. She had five games with double-figure rebounds, including a career-high 14 in a contest with Penn on New Year's Eve. She also had 12 rebounds in a home win over UC Santa Barbara and 11 rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots in an overtime victory at UC Riverside.

Matthews averaged 4.8 points per game in both the regular season and conference slate. She scored a career-high 10 points to go with eight rebounds in a contest at Cal Poly and opened the season with five points and eight rebounds in her Matador debut.

Maulupe earned Second Team All-Big West honors as one of the conference's top perimeter threats. She averaged 13.8 points for the season and connected on 79 3-pointers during the regular season, ranking among the league leaders in both categories. In fact, her 79 3-pointers ranks second in school history and she needs five more to set a new program record. In conference play, Maulupe upped her scoring average to 15.8 points per game as she made 46 3-pointers in the 16-game slate.

She also added averages of 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for the season and leads the Matadors with 27 steals. Maulupe won her first career Big West Player of the Week award on Jan. 30 after pouring in a career-high 28 points and 10 field goals in a win over UC Santa Barbara. She also scored at least 20 points in contests with NAU, Saint Mary's, Cal Poly and UC Riverside. Maulupe knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers on three different occasions and grabbed a CSUN career-high nine rebounds in a home win over Detroit Mercy.

As a team, CSUN (17-13) has won 10 more games than it did last season and doubled its win total in conference play from a year ago as well. At 10-6 in Big West Conference play, the Matadors earned the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big West Tournament and will play against a still to be determined opponent on Wednesday, Mar. 8 at 6 p.m. from the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State.

Fluker, Matthews and Maulupe Honored on 2016-17 All-Big West Team

Players Mentioned

Channon Fluker

Eliza Matthews

Serafina Maulupe

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