The Hawaii women’s basketball team guaranteed itself a top-four finish in the Big West Conference regular season with a 69-60 defeat of Cal State Northridge tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.
UH (15-12, 11-5 Big West) got stellar both at the free-throw line (24-for-28, 85.7 percent) and from the field (22-for-43, 51.2 percent) to help overcome 25 turnovers.
Four Wahine players scored in double figures. Kamilah Martin had 15 points and shot 9-for-10 at the line, Sydney Haydel scored a season-high 13 points, Shawna Kuehu had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Ashleigh Karaitiana scored 12.
Kalani High graduate Violet Alama, a Matadors senior, fouled out with 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
The Rainbow Wahine enjoyed a 12-point halftime lead but saw that dwindle to five early in the second half behind several turnovers.
Kuehu scored consecutive baskets to push the lead back to nine.
CSUN (13-15, 7-9) got it back to five at 42-37 on a banked Haley White 3-pointer with seven minutes left.
Ashlee Guay put in a twisting layup to make it 58-52 with two minutes to go, but Monica DeAngelis hit her team’s first 3-pointer of the game, and her first basket, for a nine-point lead.
Guay hit a 3 with 51 seconds left to make it a four-point game, but Stephanie Ricketts came back with a fast-break layup from Kuehu.
CSUN led 11-6 early, at which point the Wahine outscored the Matadors 19-2 to end the period.
Haydel had eight points at the half on 4-for-5 shooting.