LOS ANGELES, Calif. - A lack of offensive firepower saw the Western Oregon women's basketball team lose their second game in as many days as they fell to host Cal State L.A. 76-48 Saturday, Dec. 18, in the final day of the GNAC/CCAA Challenge.

The loss, WOU's first when matched up against the Golden Eagles, drops Western to 4-6 on the year. CSULA improves to 5-3 with the win.

Senior guard Sara Zahler (Newberg, Ore./Newberg) paced the Wolves with 11 points, connecting on two three-pointers. Senior forward Danielle Bellando (Eugene, Ore./Willamette) came off of the bench to score eight points, and freshman forward Melissa Fowler (Canby, Ore./Canby) added six points and six boards.

Western would strike first with a jumper by sophomore guard Lorrie Clifford (Eagle River, Alaska/Chugiak) and would trail by just one point (10-9) early in the contest. CSULA would turn on the defensive pressure, however, holding WOU to just five field goals over the final 11:58 of the first half to take a 41-21 lead at the break.

It was much the same story in the second stanza. Cal State L.A. would increase their lead to 27 on a trey by Erika Ruiz with 15:40 left to play. The Wolves would trim the deficit to 19 on a free throw by Zahler at the 8:15 mark, but would get no closer as the Golden Eagles would hold WOU to just two field goals for the remainder of the game.

"We've yet to win a game away from home," WOU head coach Greg Bruce said. "If we want to make the strides we've talked about, we obviously need to start doing that."

WOU shot 28.6-percent (18-63) from the field, their lowest percentage of the season. They did rebound from a poor free throw-shooting day yesterday with an 81.8-percent mark (9-11). Despite losing the rebounding battle, Western grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, their second-highest total this season. They also gave up just nine offensive rebounds to CSULA, the first time an opponent failed to snag at least ten offensive boards against WOU this year.

Zahler was named to the all-tournament team for her performances in the two games. She was joined by Cal Poly Pomona's Reyana Colson (MVP) and Megan Ford, as well as Cal State L.A.'s Erika Ruiz and Northwest Nazarene's Briaunna King.

The Golden Eagles were led by Erika Ruiz's 22 points. Gretchen Tiernan recorded 15 points and nine rebounds, and Lacy Ramon added 14 points and eight caroms.

The Wolves will now take an 11-day break before resuming their schedule with a conference game at Saint Martin's on Dec. 30.

NOTES
Today's game was WOU's first loss to Cal State L.A. They beat the Golden Eagles in their previous two meetings as part of the GNAC/CCAA Challenge. CSULA was 0-5 in the tournament prior to today, having lost each game by double-digits . . . The GNAC lost this year's tournament as Northwest Nazarene fell earlier today to Cal Poly Pomona, putting the GNAC's record at 1-3 . . . Zahler averaged ten points and five rebounds in this year's tournament after averaging 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last season . . . Today's game was Fowler's third straight, and sixth in her last eight, with at least six boards . . . WOU's 21 first-half points was the second-lowest first-half output for the Wolves this season. They managed just 19 against Northwest Nazarene, a game they would go on to win.