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Wahine blow halftime lead, lose to CSUN

Jason Kaneshiro

Cal State Northridge forward Channon Fluker scored 33 points to lead the Matadors to a 60-49 win over the University of Hawaii women’s basketball team tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Fluker, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, connected on 15 of 19 field-goal attempts, most coming deep in the paint, and the Matadors (15-11, 8-4 Big West) extended their winning streak to seven while picking up the program’s first win in Honolulu in six visits.

Guard Olivia Crawford led UH (8-17, 4-9) with 10 points and the Rainbow Wahine shot 32 percent from the field while dropping their sixth straight to close a four-game homestand.

CSUN found Fluker in the post early and often and she converted on six of eight shots for 13 points in the first 8:30 of the game.

She spent most of the second quarter on the bench after picking up her second foul on Sarah Toeaina’s drive at the 8:13 mark. The Wahine capitalized with a 12-3 run and took the lead when Leah Salanoa and Crawford knocked down 3-pointers.

Salanoa hit another from long range to cap a 9-0 burst and UH went into the locker room up 29-24 and with its first halftime lead since its Jan. 26 win over UC Irvine.

The Matadors opened the period with a 13-0 run to reclaim the lead, with Fluker accounting for 10 points. CSUN went outside early in the fourth quarter and drained three 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 56-44 with 5:17 left and remained in control.

Guard Serafina Maulupe hit three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points for CSUN.

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