Menlo (15-12) will face top-seeded Holy Names (22-9) on the road for the conference title and an automatic berth in the NAIA National Championship at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. It is the second consecutive season the Oaks and Hawks meet in the Cal Pac Championship Game as the top two seeds. Last season Menlo suffered an excruciating 75-74 defeat in the contest.

With a chance for some quick revenge against the same team that handed it a regular season-ending loss, Menlo never let go of its grip after bolting out to a double-digit lead six minutes into the game. The Oaks led by 17 points at halftime and were in front by at least 13 points from late in the first half until the Red Hawks pulled within 11 with just more than one minute left in the game. Menlo led by double figures for a 33 minute, 56-second stretch that ended with one second left to play.

Coming out of the gate it was the Oaks defense that was the biggest difference maker, allowing Menlo to jog more than sprint out to a big early lead. Starting her first game since mid-January, Junior Gianna Covarelli scored sink early points, senior forward Katelyn Guild scored twice inside, senior guard Senoj Jones hit a jumper, and senior forward Kelli Brull made a pair of free throws for a 14-4 advantage with 14 minutes left in the first half.

Though plenty of time remained for Simpson to make a move, Menlo never let it happen. Leading 16-6, Jones got to the hole for two, Guild scored a pair from the line, and Covarelli nailed a 3-pointer off a Jones pass for a 23-6 cushion 12 minutes in.

The Oaks lead hovered in the low teens until Jones split two freebies in the final minute of the half then found Stephanie Truong in the corner for a 3-pointer four seconds before the break for a 39-22 advantage.

Menlo led by as many points early in the second half last Saturday before Simpson's second-half barrage allowed the Red Hawks to overtake the Oaks with ease en route to the victory. That was then.

Covarelli opened the second half with inside scores from assists by Jones and then Truong, pushing Menlo's lead to 21 points two and a half minutes in. Simpson showed signs of life when it rattled of the next eight points to pull within 43-30 with more than 14 minutes to go, but the Oaks answered to slam the door shut.

Brittany Taylor converted two free throws to end the Red Hawks run before Jones found Elisa Ayala for an inside basket. Jones followed with a pull-up jumper from just inside the arc and tossed a long pass ahead to Carlie Stone for a layup that canceled out a Simpson score. It was 51-32 Oaks.

Following a free throw by Simpson's Kylie Shaw, Jones kept going after the Red Hawks. With 11 minutes, 53 seconds to play, Jones drove left across the lane and hit a fading, falling, pull-up jumper from 15 feet as she was fouled. She completed the three-point play at the line for Menlo's largest lead of the game, 54-33.

Menlo led by 20 points with four minutes, 22 seconds left and were still ahead by 19 with less than three minutes to go before Simpson got hot from the outside, never making the game interesting, but making the final score more bearable from its perspective.

Guild had a big game down low for the Oaks scoring 15 points and pulling down 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Jones finished with 13 points and seven assists running Menlo's offense while Covarelli led with 16 points. Truong netted 14 points and hit 3-of-6 3-point attempts. Brull and Elisa Ayala each scored four points with five rebounds.

Alyssa Foster scored a game-high 19 points for Simpson, also pulling down seven rebounds. Dominique Simmons finished with 12 points and seven rebounds while Paige Barrett scored 11. The Red Hawks were 0-for-9 from deep before hitting their final two 3-pointers of the game.

Menlo has lost six consecutive games to Holy Names dating back to Jan. 10, 2008. The Oaks dropped their Cal Pac opener at Holy Names on Jan. 7, 60-54, and fell to the Hawks at home on Jan. 30, 69-61. Holy Names enters Monday's championship having won 15 straight games.