NORTHRIDGE — The CSUN women’s basketball team returns from a break for finals this week with a pair of games. The Matadors (3-7) host Santa Clara Wednesday night. David Gascon has the call on BigWest.tv beginning at 5 p.m.

The Broncos are 4-5 after dropping a 69-65 decision to Cal last Saturday. Santa Clara had a pair of players (Ashlyn Heirlhy and Lauren Yearword) record double-doubles against the Bears.

Four players are averaging in double-figures, led by Tia Hay who is scoring 12.4 points per game. Hay begins the week fifth in Division I in free-throw shooting (93.3%). Heirlhy is scoring 11.1 points and is leading the team in rebounding with a 7.2 per game average.

This is the 12th time that CSUN and Santa Clara are playing women’s basketball with the Broncos leading the all-time series 8-3. The Matadors defeated SCU 53-38 last season in Santa Clara. The 38 points allowed by CSUN in that game are the sixth-fewest allowed by the Matadors since CSUN moved to the Division I level.

CSUN travels to the University of San Diego Saturday for a 2 p.m. start. The game will be streamed by the WCC Network. All links will be available on GoMatadors.com. The Toreros fell to 5-5 on the year after losing 65-47 to Washington on Saturday. Myah Pace is the team’s leading scorer at 12.0 points per game. Pace is fifth in Division I this week in steals with 37.

Madison Pollock is second on the team in scoring (10.6) and leads USD in rebounding at 6.3 per game. San Diego has won eight in a row in the series to take a 16-4 all-time series lead.

De’Jionae Calloway was selected Big West women’s basketball Player of the Week Dec. 9. The 6-foot forward averaged 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as the Matadors finished 1-1 for the week. Calloway scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting in the 56-54 victory over Loyola Marymount on Wednesday.

She scored nine of her 22 points in the pivotal fourth quarter that saw the Matadors overcome a 43-37 deficit and led CSUN to a 19-11 advantage to close out the game. She made three consecutive buckets in a nearly three-minute span, the latter an “and-one” that gave CSUN a 51-50 lead. Calloway kept the Matadors competitive in a home showdown with No. 11/11 UCLA, posting her fourth double-double of the year with 12 points and 12 rebounds. She added two assists and three steals in the 58-44 loss to the Bruins.

Entering this week, Calloway is third in the Big West in rebounding (9.4), eighth in scoring (13.7), and eighth in field goal shooting (.465). Calloway’s front-court mate, Lauren Shymkewicz is second in the Big West in blocked shots (1.7) and seventh in rebounds (6.7). Freshman Deja Williams is leading the league in made three-pointers per game with 2.7. She is shooting .340 from beyond the arc, the 10th best in the conference so far. Meghann Henderson is second in the league in steals with a 2.4 per game average. Hayley Tanabe is fifth in the Big West in assist-to-turnover ratio and seventh in assists (3.6).

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