The machine that has been the Cal State Northridge Matadors women’s basketball team beat defending tournament champion Cal Poly in the Big West Tournament final on Saturday.

Jonae Ervin drives in the 2014 Big West Tournament championship game. By Owen Main

The Mustangs, playing in their second consecutive final, got down by double-digits early in the first half and never really recovered. The Matadors held Mustangs center, Molly Schlemer, to just nine points on 3-16 shooting. Ariana Elegado got hot in the second half as the Mustangs went on an 11-0 run to get within six points with 4:23 remaining. Elegado reeled-off eight straight points to end the run.

“Ariana was carying us on her back,” said Schlemer. “No one else’s shots were falling really but she was just hitting everything… . It was exciting, but we didn’t capitalize on the defense, we didn’t get stops when we needed to, I didn’t get rebounds when I needed to, so you can’t really celebrate when you’re still down six.”

CSUN’s Camille Malknecht hit a jumper to stave off the Mustang charge and push the Matador lead back to eight points. Cal Poly would never be as close.

“It sucks,” said Elegado. I thought, like coach said, we came up with a good game plan. We felt really good before the game. We thought we had that. But then this feeling brings back memories to the first or second year…. just… that should have been us.”

Schlemer concurred.

“Credit Northridge for coming out and doing a lot of things right, but it’s just not a good feeling at all,” said Schlemer

Photos by Owen Main

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]