Toeaina reaches 1K in loss

Sarah Toeaina reached the long-awaited 1,000-point milestone, but it was Cal State Northridge center Channon Fluker who was most prolific player on the Stan Sheriff Center court Thursday night.

Fluker continued her complete mastery of the Rainbow Wahine, compiling 34 points and 17 rebounds to key a second-half comeback and a 70-58 Matadors victory. It put a damper on a special moment for UH and its senior captain Toeaina, who scored 18 in becoming the program’s 21st player to gain 1K membership.

“Definitely mixed,” said the Wahine co-captain of her feelings. “Really wanted the outcome, but a huge milestone. It’s tough when you have that outcome, but it definitely wouldn’t have been possible without the coaching staff and their support, as well as the team surrounding me.”

Fluker, CSUN’s 6-foot-4 junior, similarly credited her teammates after shooting 13-for-20 from the field. She did not miss in the second half, going 9-for-9 on a series of hook shots and putbacks for a season high. She powered her team to a 34-14 advantage in the paint.

UH (8-12 overall) still had its chances, leading by four at halftime, but fell behind for good in the third quarter. The eighth-place Wahine dropped to 1-6 in conference, their worst seven-game mark as a Big West member. Their next chance to break their slide is 5:30 p.m. Saturday against UC Riverside (6-15, 3-4), which bested UH by 22 in Riverside last week.

Fluker’s career high, 39, came against UH in the Big West tournament second round last March. In six career games against the Wahine, she’s topped 30 four times.

“Just doing my work early inside,” she said of what’s worked. “That’s what we work on in practice.”

Forward Kenna Woodfolk contributed 17 points and Julissa Tago 11 for UH, while Toeaina had team highs of seven rebounds and four assists. CSUN (11-9, 4-2) didn’t require a secondary scorer greater than Hayley Tanabe and her 11 points.

“It was pretty tough down there,” Woodfolk said. “I think we contained (Fluker) a little bit in the first half, and went away from (that) in the second half. She’s a good player. She’s going to get her points, but if we could’ve contained her like we did in the first half a little more, then I feel like out the outcome would’ve been different.”

UH coach Laura Beeman started two different players, Amy Atwell and Rachel Odumu, to try to give her team a spark. The spark got snuffed by Fluker.

“When you allow a good player to get comfortable and in rhythm, anything they throw up is going to go in,” Beeman said. “And we allowed her in the second half to get very, very comfortable. Our doubles were either nonexistent or late.”

Tago banked in a 3 to end a CSUN 9-0 third-quarter run and bring UH within 46-44. Woodfolk and Claudia Ramos traded 3s to keep it a four-point game going into the fourth quarter.

Toeaina, who needed 10 points coming into the night, reached the thousand mark on a backdoor cut to start the fourth. Her second 3-pointer of the season brought UH within 55-52.

But Fluker passed out to Tanabe for a 3 to beat the shot clock, good for a six-point lead with three minutes left. UH was unable to catch up.