Game Notes

SAN LUIS OBISPO-The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team (8-5, 0-0 BWC) opens their Big West conference season with a bang on the road against perennial conference powers, Cal Poly (5-7, 0-0 BWC) and defending champions CSUN (10-4, 0-0 BWC). Hawai`i was picked in the pre-season Big West Media Poll to finish in second while Cal Poly and CSUN was voted to finish in third and first respectively.

Currently, Hawai'i leads the Big West averaging 72.4 points per game. The 'Bows also lead the conference in rebounding offense (43.5 per game) and rebounding margin ( 5.2) and are second in the BWC in defensive rebounds (27.62).Leading the Rainbow Wahine charge is Shawna-Lei Kuehu who is averaging career-highs of 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. She is ranked in the Big West at No. 7 in scoring, No. 3 in rebound average, and No. 8 in steals (20). She leads the conference in defensive rebounds (5.38 per game) and is tops on UH with 19 blocked shots and second on the team with 35 assists. The sixth-year senior is just the 10th Rainbow Wahine to record over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds and last week she moved up to No. 16 on the all-time scoring record book with 1,053 points. In both of the 'Bows' games last week, Kuehu finished just one rebound shy of a double-double. Against HPU (Dec. 31), she poured in a team-high 26-points and nine rebounds then against UNC Greensboro (Jan. 2) Kuehu led UH with 16 points and nine boards. She has scored over 20 points three times thus far this season.

Fellow seniors Morgan Mason and Ashleigh Karaitiana are both averaging 11.0 points apiece. Mason leads Hawai'i with 37 assists and is fourth with 13 steals. She came back after sitting out against HPU to tally 11 points and five rebounds against UNC Greensboro. Karaitiana saw her 11-game double-digit point streak snapped against HPU, but she picked it right back up coming off the bench to score 11 points against UNCG. Overall, she is tied with Kuehu for the team-lead with 20 steals and third on the team with 29 assists, six blocked shots, and 6.2 rebounding average. Karaitiana leads UH with 16 made 3-pointers.

Cal Poly enters the conference season with a 5-7 record. The Mustangs are led by senior guard Ariana Elegado who has gotten off to a solid start in her senior campaign. Elegado is fourth in the league with a team-high 15.6 points per game. She also leads Cal Poly with 30 made 3-pointers, 48 assists, 19 steals (tied with Lynn Leaupepe) and 411 minutes played. Kristen Ale is second on the squad averaging 9.4 points a game and 34 assists. Taryn Garza leads CP with 6.9 rebounds per game and nine blocked shots. The Mustangs snapped a four game losing streak in their most recent game, defeating CSUB, 71-66 at home on Jan. 3.

CSUN goes into conference action with a 10-4 record overall. They are a perfect 6-0 at home and are led by four strong seniors--guards Ashlee Guay, Cinnamon Lister, Janae Sharpe, and center Camille Mahlknecht. Guay is maintaining a team-high 15.4 points per game while dishing out 64 assists with 20 steals--both best on the team. Sharpe is close behind Guay, averaging 14.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds with 48 assists and 16 steals. Lister is the third CSUN player in double-digits, averaging 12.1 points with a team-high 29 made 3-pointers in 75 attempts. The 6-2 Mahlknecht leads the leauge with an 8.4 rebounding average and 37 blocked shots. She is scoring 8.4 points per game and has a total of 117 rebounds.

Game 14
Who: Hawai'i (8-5, 0-0 Big West) at Cal Poly (5-7, 0-0 Big West)
When: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Mott Athletics Center - San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Audio/Video Webcast and Livestats: Fans can link to an audio and video broadcast as well as live in-game stats at www.gopoly.com.
Coaches: Hawaii head coach Laura Beeman is in her third season and has led UH to back-to-back WNIT appearances. She has a42-33record at Hawai'i after recording a 390-110 record at the junior college level with Mt. San Antonio.
Series History: Cal Poly holds a 7-1 record against Hawaii. Last year, the Mustangs came to Honolulu and defeated UH in a heartbreaking overtime win, 78-74 on Jan. 8. Then in San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly held off the 'Bows to win by two points, 62-60. The Mustangs then defeated Hawaii in the semifinals of the Big West tournament, 66-52 on March 14. Hawai'i's lone win against the Mustangs came on Jan. 24, 2013 at the Stan Sheriff Center, 61-43.

Game 15
Who: Hawai`i (8-5, 0-0 Big West) at CSUN (10-4, 0-0 Big West)
When: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 at 4:00 p.m.
Where: The Matadome - Northridge, Calif.
Audio/Video Webcast and Livestats: Fans can link to an audio and video broadcast as well as live in-game stats at www.gomatadors.com.
Coaches: Hawaii head coach Laura Beeman is in her third season and has led UH to back-to-back WNIT appearances. She has a42-33record at Hawai'i after recording a 390-110 record at the junior college level with Mt. San Antonio.Jason Flowers is 65-75 in his fifth season at CSUN.
Series History: UH leads the series over CSUN, 6-1. The Matadors were 0-6 before snapping that streak last season on Feb. 1 with a 75-72 overtime win in Northridge, Calif.