Box Score Anaheim, Calif. – Cal State Northridge shot 48.3 percent from the floor on their way to a 78-60 win over UC Irvine in a semifinal game of the Big West Tournament held at the Honda Center Friday.
The Anteaters were 19-63 from the floor (30.2%), hitting just 4-21 from three-point range. The Matadors shot 29-60 from the field overall and a blistering 53.8% (14-26) in the second half to secure the win. CSUN missed just one free throw (13-14) and hit seven three-pointers.
UC Irvine (17-15) was led by senior Jennifer Tsurumoto with 17 points, shooting 5-10 from the floor and 5-6 from the free throw line. Senior forward Camille Buckley posted her league-leading 19th double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Buckley went 10-13 from the free throw line and snatched a team-best four steals. Junior forward Methlyn Onogomuho added nine points and five rebounds, while senior forward Jasmine Bernard had eight points and four assists. Seniors Vanessa Aguilar and Lauren Spinazze each recorded five points.
Ashlee Guay recorded a game-high 24 points to lead Cal State Northridge. Cinnamon Lister followed with 18 points and Camille Mahlknecht totaled a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds
Cal State Northridge went on a 13-3 run to open a 28-17 lead at 5:31 and would lead at the half 36-28.
The Anteaters closed to 48-41 on a Camille Buckley basket at 10:53, but Northridge would answer with a 12-1 run to extend the lead to 18 (60-42) with 6:31 remaining. UCI would get no closer than 14 the rest of the game.
People are interested in our program, women's and men's," head coach Doug Oliver said. "We are where we can be competitive every year, call it culture or whatever you want, but people are taking notice. We have a lot to offer at UC Irvine."
UCI's 17 wins were the most for the program since 1994-95 when the team went 19-11.
We were underdogs, no body expected a lot from us, yet we won," Buckley added. "Tonight wasn't the best, but I'm proud of my team for making it this far."
"In our eyes we didn't overachieve because we knew how good we were," Tsurumoto ended. "Our core of seven seniors knew what we could do from the beginning and used it as motivation."
