Categoria: High School Basketball

Schedule, TV Info For The CIF State Boys And Girls Basketball Championship Games

Here is the schedule and TV information for the boys and girls basketball CIF State championship games Friday and Saturday.

The games are played at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Click here for the live updates from SCNG’s reporters who are the game.

FRIDAY Girls Division IV

10 a.m.: Shalhevet vs. San Anselmo San Domenico | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Boys Division V

Noon: Lynwood vs. Tollhouse Sierra | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Girls Division III

2 p.m.: Los Osos vs. Colfax | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Boys Division III

4 p.m.: Buena vs. Oakland | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Girls Division I

6 p.m.: Corona Santiago vs. Oakland Tech | TV: Spectrum News 1, SportsNet LA

Boys Division I

8 p.m.: Notre Dame/SO vs. Livermore Granada | TV: Spectrum News 1, SportsNet LA

SATURDAY Girls Division V

10 a.m.: Marina vs. Angels Camp Bret Harte | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Boys Division IV

Noon: Valencia vs. Half Moon Bay | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Girls Division II

2 p.m.: Chula Vista Bonita Vista vs. Fresno Central | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Boys Division II

4 p.m.: Pacifica Christian/NB vs. Fresno San Joaquin Memorial | TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Girls Open Division

6 p.m.: Etiwanda vs. San Jose Mitty | TV: Spectrum News 1, SportsNet LA

Boys Open Division

8 p.m.: Harvard-Westlake vs. Santa Maria St. Joseph | TV: Spectrum News 1, SportsNet LA

Boys And Girls Basketball: Saturday’s Scores, Updated Schedule For The CIF SoCal Regional Playoffs

The scores from Saturday’s games in the CIF regional boys and girls basketball playoffs.

CIF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS

BOYS BASKETBALL

OPEN DIVISION

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Corona Centennial 89, San Diego St. Augustine 67

Harvard-Westlake 69, St. John Bosco 64

DIVISION I

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 81, Mater Dei 59

Sierra Canyon 64, Bishop Montgomery 47

DIVISION II

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Pacifica Christian/Newport Beach 60, Oxnard 56

Orange Lutheran 51, Tesoro 50

DIVISION III

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Buena 65, Camarillo 55

Culver City 52, San Luis Obispo Mission Prep 50

DIVISION IV

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Valencia 89, Long Beach Jordan 80

St. Bonaventure 71, San Pedro 66 (OT)

DIVISION V

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Lynwood 82, South Gate 46

Santa Monica/Pacifica Christian 71, San Diego County Ramona 52

REGIONAL FINALS

Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Open Division

Harvard-Westlake at Corona Centennial

Division I

Sierra Canyon at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

Division II

Pacifica Christian/Newport Beach at Orange Lutheran

Division III

Buena at Culver City

Division IV

St. Bonaventure at Valencia

Division V

Pacifica Christian/Santa Monica at Lynwood

GIRLS BASKETBALL

OPEN DIVISION

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Sierra Canyon 59, Mater Dei 47

Etiwanda 47, La Jolla Country Day 42

DIVISION I

Regional semifinals, Saturday

San Diego Del Norte 67, Orange Lutheran 58

Corona Santiago 72, Spring Valley Mount Miguel 52

DIVISION II

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Chula Vista Bonita Vista 70, Rancho Christian 69

Leuzinger 70, San Juan Hills 55

DIVISION III

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Los Osos 62, Bakersfield Liberty 48

Redondo 56, Oak Park 45

DIVISION IV

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Shalhevet 57, Silverado 44

Campbell Hall 49, Sun Valley Poly 33

DIVISION V

Regional semifinals, Saturday

Marina 62, South Hills 47

San Pedro 53, St. Monica 51 (OT)

REGIONAL FINALS

Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Open Division

Etiwanda at Sierra Canyon

Division I

San Diego Del Norte at Corona Santiago

Division II

Leuzinger at Chula Vista Bonita Vista

Division III

Redondo at Los Osos

Division IV

Campbell Hall at Shalhevet

Division V

Marina at San Pedro

Harvard-Westlake Basketball Holds Off St. John Bosco, Advances To Regional Final Vs. Centennial

BELLFLOWER — The Harvard-Westlake boys basketball team was not going to lose to the same team, the same way, twice in one season.

The scenario Saturday night was eerily similar to when the Wolverines lost to St. John Bosco on Feb. 14. They were up late again in the fourth quarter.

However, this time they withstood their opponent’s final run and pulled out a hard-fought 69-64 win at St. John Bosco in the CIF State Open Division Southern California Regional semifinals.

Harvard Westlake’s Brady Dunlap goes up for the shot in front of St. John Bosco’s Elzie Harrington in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Nikolas Khamenia and Brady Dunlap try to block St. John Bosco’s Brandon McCoy’s shot in the Open Division regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Jack Turner tries to push past Harvard Westlake’s Brady Dunlap and Jacob Huggins in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Robert Hinton shoot for three as they take on St. John Bosco in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Kade Bonam goes up against Harvard Westlake’s Jacob Huggins for the tipoff in the Open Division boys basketballregional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco guard Jack Turner, left, puts up a shot for a basket over Centennial Eric Freeny in the CIF-SS Open Division Championship basketball game in Anaheim on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Kade Bonam tries to block Harvard Westlake’s Trent Perry’s shot in the Open Division boys basketballregional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Jacob Huggins tries to block St. John Bosco’s Kade Bonam in the Open Division boys basketballregional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Trent Perry grabs the rebound as they take on St. John Bosco in the Open Division boys basketballsemifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Elzie Harrington looks to get past Harvard Westlake’s Robert Hinton in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Elzie Harrington shoots for two with Harvard Westlake’s Christian Horry trying to block from the back in the Open Division boys basketballregional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Elzie Harrington tries to get past Harvard Westlake’s Jacob Huggins in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Elzie Harrington tries to push past Harvard Westlake’s Robert Hinton in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Jack Turner pushes toward the basket in the Open Division boys basketballregional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Jacob Huggins looks to block St. John Bosco’s Amir Meadows shot in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Christian Horry looks to block St. John Bosco’s Elzie Harrington’s shot in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Brandon McCoy goes up for the shot as the Braves take on Harvard Westlake in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Trent Perry looks to get past St. John Bosco’s DJ Harrington in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Christian Horry goes up to block St. John Bosco’s Jack Turner in the Open Division boys basketballregional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Kade Bonam goes up for the shot as the Braves take on Harvard Westlake in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

Harvard Westlake’s Trent Perry tries to get past St. John Bosco’s Amiri Meadows and Xinyi Li in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Xinyi Li tries to block Harvard Westlake’s Trent Perry’s shot in the Open Division boys basketballregional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco’s Jack Turner tries to block Harvard Westlake’s Christian Horry’s shot in the Open Division boys basketball regional semifinal in Bellflower, CA, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)

A pivotal point in the game came early in the second half.

Harvard-Westlake senior Brady Dunlap made a 3-pointer and was fouled on the play, but he also came down wrong on his lingering ankle injury. Dunlap’s four-point play put the Wolverines up 41-29 with 5:15 left in the third quarter.

After the 6-foot-8 forward made his free throw he went to the bench, visibly ailing but checked back in 25 seconds later and scored the final three of his team-high 18 points that went with his eight rebounds.

“I’ve done it before,” Dunlap said. “This ankle has been bothering me (since) the summer and just looking at my teammates, they were all cheering me on and telling me they need me and that was all the difference. Just them telling me that we’re a family and they need me on the court. It meant the world to me and I had to go out there and battle for them.”

Harvard-Westlake senior forward Brady Dunlap on playing through an ankle injury and scoring a team-high 18 points in @hwathletics’ 69-64 win at St. John Bosco in the CIF State Open Division regional semifinals. @Tarek_Fattal @Drebibo @ladailynews pic.twitter.com/Oe3ILuQTKB

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 5, 2023

I’m breaking down Harvard-Westlake’s 69-64 win at St. John Bosco in @CIFState Open Division Regional Semifinals. HW’s senior Brady Dunlap played through an ankle injury to score a team-high 18 points. Bosco was led by sophomore Elzie Harrington with a game-high 20 points. pic.twitter.com/FnkZ9JrjeY

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 5, 2023

“We stuck together. We dealt with some adversity,” said Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo. “We handled their runs and we came back and responded and I’m really proud of our guys.”

Senior forward Jacob Huggins, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, provided Harvard-Westlake with a key inside presence.

Junior guard Trent Perry finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Christian Horry scored 11 points. Sophomore guard Nikolas Khamenia added 10 points and four rebounds.

“We’re a true team,” Dunlap continued. “Chemistry is insane. We trust each other.”

The Wolverines (31-2) will play at Centennial of Corona (30-3) in the CIF Southern California Open Division Regional final Tuesday, March 7.

“Can’t wait,” Rebibo said. “This is what we’ve worked for, we’re excited and we’re looking forward to the opportunity and we know it’s going to be a war.”

Harvard-Westlake boys basketball coach David Rebibo (@Drebibo) on his team’s 69-64 win at St. John Bosco Saturday night. @hwathletics is moving on to the Open Division Southern California Regional Final. @Tarek_Fattal @ladailynews pic.twitter.com/Aoazmv1ud4

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 5, 2023

St. John Bosco (26-7) led 10-9 with 2:17 left in the first quarter but Harvard-Westlake closed the first quarter with an 8-0 run and led 17-10 heading into the second quarter.

The Wolverines extended their advantage to 37-29 at halftime.

Harvard-Westlake took a 51-44 lead into the fourth quarter. Huggins made it 56-46 with a free throw with 6:21 to go.

However, that’s when the momentum began swinging Bosco’s way behind the strong play of sophomore point guard Elzie Harrington, who scored eight of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, and freshman guard Brandon McCoy, who scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.

“I love this group. Those two did a great job making plays,” said St. John Bosco coach Matt Dunn. “Obviously, they have a special future ahead of them. This is a special group. This hurts to be done.”

Harrington and McCoy’s aggressiveness was rewarded with multiple trips to the free throw line, cutting HW’s lead to 59-57 and 62-60.

“We know we always have a chance no matter what,” Harrington said. “We kept saying that to ourselves throughout the whole game… We’ve built such a bond off the court and I really love them and it breaks my heart (that our seniors) have to be done with it.”

St. John Bosco sophomore point guard Elzie Harrington finished with a game-high 20 points in Bosco’s 69-64 loss vs. Harvard-Westlake. @ElzieHarringto1 said it breaks his heart that this means the end for @BoscoBasketball seniors from the Class of 2023. @burrellee3 @CoachDunn10 pic.twitter.com/rVZiAijd3d

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 5, 2023

However, the Wolverines responded and led 64-60 with 1:29 to go.

Bosco senior center Xinyi Li muscled his way to the basketball for a layup that cut HW’s lead to 65-62 with 27.4 seconds to go. Li finished with 10 points.

Perry made one of two free throws and HW led 66-62 with 21.5 seconds to go.

Harrington made two free throws, which cut HW’s lead to 67-64 with 1.1 seconds left in the game. Khamenia was fouled and made two free throws with 0.6 seconds left to give Harvard-Westlake a 69-64 win.

“This is a tough one but I still have great pride in what we accomplished,” Dunn said. “I thought they were a little more mature than us. We just struggled to do the right thing for whatever reason, obviously (Harvard-Westlake) is a big part of that. We had some self-inflicted stuff. We didn’t do the right thing enough to win a game at this level.”

St. John Bosco basketball coach Matt Dunn on his team’s 69-64 loss at home to Harvard-Westlake. @CoachDunn10 said this year’s team is a special group and it hurts for @BoscoBasketball’s season to be over. @presstelegram @sjbathletics pic.twitter.com/IPYKDnj4Hy

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 5, 2023

Final: Harvard-Westlake 69, St. John Bosco 64. HW will play at Centennial on Tuesday in the regional final. HW senior Brady Dunlap with a team-high 18 points and 8 rebounds. Bosco sophomore guard Elzie Harrington with a game-high 20 points. @Tarek_Fattal @BoscoBasketball pic.twitter.com/9ZZncvU1zy

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 5, 2023

CIF-SS Girls Basketball Playoffs: Saturday’s Scores, Pairings For The Finals

Saturday’s scores from the CIF Southern Section girls basketball semifinals and the updated pairings for the championship games on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 24-25.

CIF-SS GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Saturday’s games

OPEN DIVISION

Pool A

Sierra Canyon 89, Sage Hill 45

Ontario Christian 74, Bishop Montgomery 70

Pool B

Etiwanda 71, Mater Dei 58

Corona Santiago 65, Windward 47

DIVISION 1

Semifinals

Marlborough 63, Rosary 44

Orange Lutheran 78, Chaminade 68

DIVISION 2AA

Semifinals

La Salle 46, Redondo 36

Hart 68, San Juan Hills 65

DIVISION 2A

Semifinals

Brentwood 52, Keppel 33

Leuzinger 70, Village Christian 52

DIVISION 3AA

Semifinals

Los Osos 61, Moreno Valley 52

Flintridge Prep 68, El Dorado 53

DIVISION 3A

Semifinals

Rancho Christian 79, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 34

Chino 55, Campbell Hall 53

DIVISION 4AA

Semifinals

Buena Park 59, Shalhevet 55

Rialto 70, Silverado 43

DIVISION 4A

Semifinals

Notre Dame Academy 57, Bishop Diego 44

Oakwood 43, Laguna Beach 30

DIVISION 5AA

Semifinals

St. Margaret’s 55, South Hills 39

Gahr 39, Marina 38

DIVISION 5A

Semifinals

St. Monica 72, Riverside Prep 39

Oak Park 65, West Valley 27

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

Feb. 24-25

Open Division

Sierra Canyon vs. Etiwanda at Honda Center, Saturday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m.

Division 1

Marlborough vs. Orange Lutheran at Honda Center, date/time TBA

Division 2AA

La Salle vs. Hart

Division 2A

Brentwood vs. Leuzinger

Division 3AA

Los Osos vs. Flintridge Prep

Division 3A

Rancho Christian vs. Chino

Division 4AA

Buena Park vs. Rialto

Division 4A

Notre Dame Academy vs. Oakwood

Division 5AA

St. Margaret’s vs. Gahr

Division 5A

St. Monica vs. Oak Park

Los Osos Girls Basketball Overcomes Slow Start, Pulls Away In Division 3AA Quarterfinal

RANCHO CUCAMONGA — The Los Osos girls basketball team might be the No. 1 seed for the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA playoffs, but the Grizzlies should not be confused with a team that has plenty of postseason experience.

Until this year, Los Osos hadn’t won a playoff game since 2018, and hadn’t been this far since 2017, when the Grizzlies won a section championship and went to the state finals.

So there were bound to be some nerves at least at the outset for Wednesday’s quarterfinal game.

Los Osos fell behind by seven points in the first half, then rallied and won going away, defeating Louisville 58-42 in at Los Osos High School.

The Grizzlies (23-4) will host fourth-seeded Moreno Valley in the semifinals on Saturday. Louisville (15-8) sees its season come to an end.

“For our team, this is our first time being here,” Los Osos coach Dawnesha Buckner said. “We made a joke before we came out, (asking), ‘who’s been in this position?’ Only myself and coach raised our hands. They’re not going to say it is, but it’s nerves. They really settled down near the end and got it together.”

Louisville capped the first quarter with a 7-0 run to take an 18-11 lead into the second. The teams traded the first two baskets of the second quarter, and then the Grizzlies went on a run, outsourcing the Royals 19-2 over the final seven minutes of the half.

Jackie Polk scored 10 of her game-high 20 points in the second quarter as Los Osos forced seven turnovers in the second quarter and turned many of them into fast-break points, many of them layups by Polk.

The Royals never got closer than seven points in the second half, and Los Osos seemed to put the game away with a 3-pointer by Hailey Estrada with 3:05 left that gave the Grizzlies a 53-37 lead. Estrada scored 18 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter.

One of their challenges was to slow down Louisville junior Taylor Westbrook, the tallest player on the floor. Westbrook had 15 rebounds, but scored only five points, all on second-half free throws.

“They did a great job of switching, hedging her and pushing her out of the paint where she likes to score,” Louisville coach Monica Hernandez said. “And they did a great job of speeding up the tempo on us defensively.”

Buckner wasn’t as pleased, feeling the Grizzlies allowed Westbrook too many rebounds.

“Believe it or not, we actually drilled boxing out,” Buckner said. “We’re definitely going to talk about that tomorrow. We definitely came up short in that aspect.”

It was a disappointing end to a solid season for the Royals, who moved up to Division 3AA after making the 3A quarterfinals last year and winning the 5A championship two years ago.

“We fouled them a lot, so they made a lot of free throws early,” Hernandez said. “That’s where all their points came from and then they just beat us to all the 50-50 balls. Then we stopped executing from there. They did a great job (on offense) of slowing the clock down. We like to play fast.”

Miye Kodama led the Royals with 13 points.

Buckner’s been in this position before and wants her team to appreciate the journey.

“I share with them our experience the first time, I share with them the (CIF championship) ring. (I say), ‘you guys enjoy it.’ And they are. They’re having a lot of fun,” Buckner said.

Canyon Girls Basketball Can’t Make Up For Rough Start In Playoff Loss To La Salle

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CANYON COUNTRY — Canyon girls basketball coach Jessica Haayer says you can’t think a game is over until there’s less than three minutes left.

“And then it becomes, you’ve got to cut a lead down,” she said.

A disciplined La Salle team built up a substantial early lead, leaving Canyon to dig deep in the final quarter. The Cowboys had their highest-scoring quarter in that final frame, but the Lancers stayed the course to win 53-36 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA quarterfinals.

La Salle moves on to the semifinals where they’ll play Redondo Union on Saturday.

“When you get a team like that, that is so disciplined to work you until they get the layup,” Haayer said, “if you’re not disciplined right back and you don’t communicate and you don’t do all those things, you’re going to give up layups. You’re going to give up buckets.”

Girls basketball roundup: Sierra Canyon, Juju Watkins dominates in Open Division playoff win

Canyon (20-8) only scored three points in the first quarter on a layup and a free throw by Jade Sims, who went on to finish the game with 14 points.

The Cowboys started to disrupt La Salle (28-3) in the second quarter while slowly making some shots of their own. Koko Booker hit a jumper on one end, then blocked a shot on the other. Two minutes later, Josie Regez sank back-to-back 3-pointers to bring the score to 20-10 with 1:40 left in the first half.

Regez paced the Cowboys with 15 points in the game. The junior didn’t begin playing basketball until she got to high school, but Haayer expects her to be a leader on next year’s team.

“She started her freshman year, but that was the COVID year,” Haayer said. “So she’s still out like, 20 games, but you’d never guess. She’s good. She has finesse.”

La Salle built on its 24-11 advantage in the third quarter, then Canyon scored 17 points in the final quarter.

Sims blocked a shot, a maneuver that sent La Salle’s 6-foot forward Casey Higgins sliding into the gym doors behind her to keep the score at 46-32 with 2:40 left in the game. Regez made a layup for some momentum in the final minutes.

Canyon picked it up in the final three minutes, and the program itself has improved in the last three years. The Cowboys shared the Foothill League title this season and won it outright last season, but were in fourth place in 2021.

“We were like wow, we’re a really good team when we’re all playing together, when we’re all scoring, when we’re all playing defense,” Sims, a senior, said. “And that’s what we noticed my junior year and that’s when we turned it on.”

The sustained success came with the help of alumni and support from others within Canyon athletics. Alumni come back to practice with the team and create a sizable cheering section behind the Cowboys bench for games. Canyon’s boys varsity team also practices against the girls team.

“The tall ones, the short ones, the fast ones, they all come and play with us to get better,” Sims said of the alumni. “It shows that they believe in us, too. It means a lot to us.”

Hart, which shared this season’s Foothill League title with Canyon, will be in the other semifinal game.

Canyon will be trying for another league title and a longer playoff run after this year’s run to the quarterfinals, which surpassed last season’s first-round loss in Division 2A.

“There’s alway a challenge when you walk into these doors every day,” Sims said. “No matter how tired we are, no matter if we just got back from San Francisco. Practice the next day. It was a really good ride.”

Paramount Girls Basketball Falls To Canyon In Division 2AA Playoffs

PARAMOUNT – The season came to an end for the Paramount girls basketball team Saturday night with an emotional 56-41 loss to Canyon High of Canyon Country in a CIF-SS Division 2AA second-round playoff matchup.

It was a wire-to-wire loss for Paramount (16-8), which fell behind from the onset of the game and was never able to get into any rhythm offensively.

Canyon took control early and never relinquished it as they led the Pirates by as many as 17 points in the first half.

Players for Canyon High of Canyon Country celebrate their victory over Paramount in a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Players for Canyon High of Canyon Country celebrate their victory over Paramount in a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Morgan Clay (0) is fouled on a drive to the basket during a CIF-SS girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Canyon Country’s Jade Sims (11) goes up for a basket in second quarter of a CIF-SS girls basketball playoff game against Paramount at Paramount High School on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Morgan Clay (0) is fouled on a drive to the basket during a CIF-SS girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kaylani Polk (1) drives to the basket against Canyon High of Country High in a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Morgan Clay (0) drives to the basket against Canyon High of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at home on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kimberley Macias (21) drives to the basket against Canyon High of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at Paramount High on Saturday, February 11, 2023.

Paramount’s Kimberley Macias (21) drives to the basket against Canyon High of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at Paramount High on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount head coach Leon Polk talks to his players during their game against Canyon of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at home on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kimberley Macias (21) drives to the basket against Canyon High of Country High in a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Morgan Clay (0) is fouled on a drive to the basket against Canyon High of Canyon Country in a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kaylani Polk (1) tries to drive to the basket against Canyon High of Canyon Country in a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Players for Canyon High of Canyon Country celebrate their victory over Paramount in a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Canyon of Canyon Country’s Aaliyah Garcia (2) scores in the second of a CIF-SS girls basketball playoff game against Paramount at Paramount High School on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount lost to Canyon High of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at Paramount High on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kaylani Polk (1) tries to get control of the ball against Canyon High of Canyon Country during a CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoff game at Paramount High on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kaylani Polk (1) drives to the basket against Canyon High of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at home on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kimberley Macias (21) wins a battle for a lose ball against Canyon High of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at home on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kimberley Macias (21) wins a battle for a lose ball against Canyon High of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at home on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Morgan Clay (0) shoots a free throw against Canyon of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at home on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount’s Kaylani Polk (1) drives to the basket against Canyon of Canyon Country in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2AA girls basketball playoffs at home on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Paramount came within nine points early in the third quarter, but Canyon continued to answer every run to maintain its lead throughout the second half and sealed the win by making big free throws in the fourth quarter.

The ending was difficult for Paramount. The frustration over the loss and with the officiating in the game came to a head in the final minutes. Two Pirates players were assessed technical fouls and one player was ejected with 20 seconds left in the game.

Paramount coach Leon Polk gracious in defeat and talks about what went wrong in this loss to Canyon and how he felt about 2 of his players getting techs at the end of the game @BeachVarsity @presstelegram pic.twitter.com/CKBxGo9NFD

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) February 12, 2023

Paramount coach Leon Polk talked about what went wrong in the game.

“I felt like we started off mentally unprepared,” Polk said. “Physically, we tried hard but mentally we were not engaged the whole game. We came back in the second half a little bit different, but the first half bit us in the butt a little bit at the end, but overall I’m proud of my girls.”

Polk also spoke about his disappointment with how the game ended with the technical fouls late in the fourth quarter.

“For me, it’s more about mental toughness,” Polk said. “You have college coaches in the stands, you never know who is watching, and I told them ‘you gave them at least 10 points off of that.’”

Polk’s daughter, Kaylani, was one of the bright spots for Paramount, as she finished with a team-high 18 points and added four steals and two rebounds. She appeared to suffer a left shoulder injury midway through the fourth quarter, but she finished the game while showing heart and toughness.

Paramount guard Kaylani Polk finished with a team-high 18 pts to along with 4 steals and 2 Rebs and talks about what went wrong in this loss to Canyon, how it finished, but how proud she is of this team @BeachVarsity @presstelegram @ParamountHoops pic.twitter.com/fxBSBPHzNy

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) February 12, 2023

“It cracked a little bit but I was able to play through it,” Kaylani Polk said of her shoulder.

She also spoke about how her team came into the game unprepared and not as mentally sharp as it should have been.

“I think there was a lot of bickering at each other and nobody was really mentally prepared as we should have been,” she continued. “We walked into the game thinking we were going to beat them, because we saw film on them. We just underestimated them basically. As soon as they got the lead, our mood just dropped.”

Sophomore guard Kimberly Macias finished with seven points, five steals and three assists, and senior forward/center Morgan Clay finished with seven points and nine rebounds.

Despite the loss, Coach Polk was proud of his team’s overall effort and how far they went this season.

“I’m extremely proud,” Leon Polk said. “We finished third in the (Suburban Valley) league and we almost took first, and we’re semi-young. I’ll bring nine girls back, so we should be pretty solid next year hopefully.”

Canyon (20-7) had a balanced effort led by guard Aaliyah Garcia, who finished with 18 points, five assists and four rebounds. She went 7 of 9 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

Katherine Garcia, a 5-foot-4 guard, finished with 10 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, and forward Josie Regez added 12 points and four rebounds.

CIF-SS Girls Basketball Playoffs: Saturday’s Scores, Matchups And Schedule For Next Round

Scores from Saturday’s games in the CIF Southern Section girls basketball playoffs and the updated matchups and schedule for the next round.

CIF-SS GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

OPEN DIVISION

Saturday

Pool play, Round 1

Pool A

Sierra Canyon 74, Bishop Montgomery 35

Sage Hill 63, Ontario Christian 53

Pool B

Etiwanda 82, Corona Santiago 43

Mater Dei 67, Windward 54

Wednesday, Feb. 15

Pool play, Round 2

Pool A

Ontario Christian (0-1) at Sierra Canyon (1-0)

Bishop Montgomery (0-1) at Sage Hill (1-0)

Pool B

Windward (0-1) at Etiwanda (1-0)

Corona Santiago (0-1) at Mater Dei (1-0), 5 p.m.

DIVISION 1

Second round, Saturday

Rosary 68, North Torrance 48

Esperanza 40, Long Beach Poly 39

Oaks Christian 61, Corona Centennial 56

Marlborough 55, Woodbridge 35

Harvard-Westlake 68, Oxnard 49

Orange Lutheran 69, Sonora 54

Lynwood 58, St. Paul 50

Chaminade 58, King 46

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

Rosary at Esperanza

Oaks Christian at Marlborough

Harvard-Westlake at Orange Lutheran

Lynwood at Chaminade

DIVISION 2AA

Second round, Saturday

La Salle 45, Rolling Hills Prep 30

Canyon Country Canyon 56, Paramount 41

San Clemente 57, Ventura 56

Redondo 57, South Pasadena 34

San Juan Hills 52, Downey 43

Fairmont Prep 44, San Dimas 34

Santa Monica 61, Crescenta Valley 55

Hart 55, Bonita 46

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

La Salle at Canyon Country Canyon

San Clemente at Redondo

Fairmont Prep at San Juan Hills

Santa Monica at Hart

DIVISION 2A

Second round, Saturday

Brentwood 73, Northview 32

Cypress 59, Aliso Niguel 35

Keppel 57, Calabasas 47

Portola 60, St. Mary’s Academy 54

Village Christian 55, Los Altos 53

Riverside Poly 64, Glendora 59

Culver City 53, Yucca Valley 47

Leuzinger 77, Shadow Hills 41

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

Brentwood at Cypress

Portola at Keppel

Village Christian vs. Riverside Poly

Leuzinger at Culver City

DIVISION 3AA

Second round, Saturday

Los Osos 56, Xavier Prep 36

Louisville 64, Northwood 55

Pioneer 51, Los Alamitos 48

Moreno Valley 52, Bishop Amat 47

El Dorado 53, Whitney 44

Murrieta Valley 65, Highland 64

Sunny Hills 45, Holy Martyrs 37

Flintridge Prep 57, Corona del Mar 46

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

Louisville at Los Osos

Pioneer at Moreno Valley

El Dorado at Murrieta Valley

Flintridge Prep at Sunny Hills

DIVISION 3A

Second round, Saturday

Rancho Christian 91, Buena 58

South Torrance 54, Bell Gardens 40

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 70, Ridgecrest Burroughs 60

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 44, La Canada 35

Chino 48, Great Oak 31

Anaheim 76, Hesperia 72 (2OT)

Trinity Classical 50, Torrance 44

Campbell Hall 80, Lakewood 64

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

South Torrance at Rancho Christian

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Cantwell-Sacred Heart

Chino at Anaheim

Trinity Classical at Campbell Hall

DIVISION 4AA

Second round, Saturday

Buena Park 76, Rio Hondo Prep 40

Irvine 52, Edison 47

Long Beach Jordan 48, Glendale 41

Flintridge Sacred Heart at Shalhevet, Monday, 5 p.m.

Aquinas 42, Knight 37

Silverado 61, Montclair 43

La Habra 58, El Toro 43

Rialto 45, Riverside North 31

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

Buena Park at Irvine

Long Beach Jordan at TBD

Silverado at Aquinas

Rialto at La Habra

DIVISION 4A

Second round, Saturday

Yeshiva at Bishop Diego, Monday, 6 p.m.

Godinez 40, Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian 38

California Lutheran 38, Avalon 36

Notre Dame Academy 47, San Jacinto 45

Canyon Springs 53, Arrowhead Christian 44

Laguna Beach 53, Quartz Hill 36

Oakwood 33, Dana Hills 32

Crossroads 56, Pasadena Poly 43

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

TBD vs. Godinez

Notre Dame Academy at California Lutheran

Canyon Springs at Laguna Beach

Oakwood at Crossroads

DIVISION 5AA

Second round, Saturday

St. Margaret’s 56, Ocean View 36

Immaculate Heart 54, Geffen 46

South Hills 72, Faith Baptist 33

Garden Grove Pacifica 39, Edgewood 26

Gahr 43, Hesperia Christian 33

Coachella Valley 36, Santa Ana 32

Marina 40, El Rancho 39

Nordhoff 62, Ramona 61

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

Immaculate Heart at St. Margaret’s

South Hills at Garden Grove Pacifica

Gahr at Coachella Valley

Marina at Nordhoff

DIVISION 5A

Second round, Saturday

St. Monica 71, Alhambra 35

Malibu 43, Orange 42

San Gorgonio 33, Tahquitz 25

Riverside Prep 40, San Gabriel Academy 29

West Valley 66, Nogales 27

Ramona Convent 59, El Monte 32

Newport Christian 51, Pasadena Marshall 48

Oak Park 63, Coastal Christian 21

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

St. Monica at Malibu

Riverside Prep at San Gorgonio

Ramona Convent at West Valley

Oak Park at Newport Christian