The University of Hawaii women’s basketball team struggled through a frigid shooting performance in a 53-46 loss at Cal State Northridge on Saturday in Northridge, Calif.

The Rainbow Wahine (8-7, 0-2 Big West) played without leading scorer and rebounder Shawna-Lei Kuehu for the second straight game and shot 28.3 percent from the field while posting their lowest point total of the season.

UH freshman Megan Huff led the Rainbow Wahine with 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in her first career start.

After hitting a season-high eight 3-pointers in a loss at Cal Poly on Thursday, UH went 1-for-13 from behind the arc against CSUN (11-5, 1-1).

CSUN wasn’t much better offensively in shooting 35 percent, but Ashlee Guay led three Matadors in double figures with 16 points while Janae Sharp and Cinnamon Lister both finished with 12 points.

Huff’s defense energized the Wahine early and UH held CSUN without a field goal until the 14:07 mark of the first half. But the Matadors overtook the Wahine with a 9-0 run and led 24-19 at halftime.

UH went more than nine minutes into the second half without a field goal before Morgan Mason scored on a drive to the basket.

The Wahine managed to close to 36-31 with 7:41 left after a Huff layup. But CSUN answered with a 7-0 run and led 43-31 after Guay hit a 3-pointer with 5:58 left.

CSUN stretched the lead to 15 before UH made a late push to cut the margin to single digits in the final minute.

UH next faces UC Riverside on Jan. 17 in its Big West home opener.