California State Basketball Championships: Game-by-game previews, How to Watch, top players, primer

Sierra Canyon, Ontario Christian, Mitty play for national titles; Central Section takes center stage; Kaleen Smith makes debut; Brandon McCoy, McKenna Woliczko offer swan songs

Ontario Christian's Kaleena Smith drives to the hoop against a Sierra Canyon defender in the CIF Southern Section Open Division final on Feb. 28, 2026. She leads her team into the state finals 6 p.m. Saturday against Mitty with a possible mythical national championship on the line. | Weston Hancock

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Golden 1 Arena is a perfect destination point for basketball players in California.

The opportunity to finish a season, a career in a state-of-the-art NBA arena is surely gold.

Twenty-four teams from the more than 1,400 that began the season get the opportunity to play in the CIF State Championships, which conclude Friday and Saturday at the home of the Sacramento Kings.

• NORCAL FINALS ROUND | Salesian stuns Riordan, Mitty girls romp again

Among the storylines and star shooters.

• The nation's all-time career three-point maker Lauren Harris leads Faith Christian of nearby Yuba City in the Division 4 girls championship.

• Two McDonald's All-Americans from one storied team — Brandon McCoy and Maxi Adams of Sierra Canyon — hope to lead the Trailblazers to not only a state Open Division crown, but also a mythical national championship.

Brandon McCoy Jr. of Sierra Canyon was selected to play in the 2026 McDonald's All-American game in Brooklyn. On Saturday, he'll lead the Trailblazers agains Salesian in an Open Division title game. | Greg Fiore

• The nation's top junior girls basketball recruit Kaleen Smith makes her Golden 1 debut, while hoping to make the swan song of senior, four-time finalists and McDonald's All-American, Mitty's McKenna Woliczko, a disappointment.

• SOCAL PLAYOFFS | Sierra Canyon headed back to Open

• The Central Section is making history not once, but twice, with the first boys and girls state title games pitting two teams from the same section. The two Division 2 games feature four Central Section teams, an oddity and an anomoly.

Plenty of tickets are available for the two-day event which begins both days at 10 a.m., and all are streamed on the NFHS Network and in Southern California televised LIVE by Spectrum Networks.

At Golden 1 Arena, Sacramento

(First team listed are Southern California champions vs. NorCal champs)

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

10 a.m. — D5 girls: Laguna Hills (21-11) vs. Woodland Christian (32-3)

Laguna Hills, making its first state appearance since 2012, is 1-1 in state finals, winning in 1997. The Hawks allow just 37.5 points per game, twice giving up 24 points in regional games. Keira McDermott scored a game-high 22 in the regional finals. … Woodland Christian is the defending state D5 champion, beating Rosamond 47-41 in last year’s final. The Cardinals are led by the Sorbello sisters, junior Siena (15.4 points per game) and freshman Sofia (12.3), who combined for 34 in a 49-36 win at top seed Modoc, a five-hour drive at the Northeastern tip of the state on Tuesday.

Noon — D5 boys: Sylmar (24-12) vs. San Marin (21-13)

San Marin leading scorer and rebounder Miller Morgan | Photo by Greg Jungerferman

In a game featuring two first-time state finalists, Sylmar is the highest scoring team of the two-day event averaging 76.5 PPG, six times breaking the century mark, including twice in regionals. Four Spartans average double-digit scoring led by Rob Winn (19.6) and Aiden Garcia (16.6). They’ve won 16 straight since opening the season 8-12. … San Marin averages only 62.3 points per game, but utilizes the three-pointer, making 284 of them led by second-leading scorer Jake Beisler (10.5) who has made 71 of them. Leading scorer (14.2) and rebounder (6.7) is Miller Morgan. The Mustangs won the NorCal title with a 56-46 win, finishing on a 28-8 run, against a Mission San Jose-Fremont team it lost to in the North Coast Section semifinals.  

2 p.m. — D3 girls: El Dorado (23-14) vs. Valley Christian (16-15)

Two more programs making first state title-game appearances, the teams combined to go just 4-16 in league play this season but caught fire in the playoffs. … At one point, El Dorado lost seven of eight, but has won 12 straight since Jan. 27, including a 61-56 regional final over when Delaney Shiring (26), Kennedy Wood (25) and Riley Morikawa (10) scored every point, combining on 11 three-pointers. … Valley Christian, which finished fifth in the rugged six-team West Catholic Athletic League, has won seven straight including its sixth Central Coast Section championship with a 64-27 win over Aragon-San Mateo. Balance and defense keys Valley Christian, which is led by All-league players Mia Kagita, Anaya Bannarbie, Jahniya Payne and Kenidi Nomura. 

4 p.m. — D3 boys: Birmingham (22-8) vs. Cornerstone Christian (28-8)

NFHS NETWORK

Yet two more teams playing in their first state-title game, Birmingham is out of the Los Angeles City Section, where it lost the Open Division title game to Fairfax 66-58. It had to wait more than three weeks before regional play and won four straight, including 73-58 over Colony-Ontario behind 18 points from Takeio Phillips and 13 apiece by Wizdom Burnes, X’zavion McKay and Charles Eleri. … Cornerstone is a tiny school in East Contra Costa College which went a combined 2-53 its first three seasons starting in 2008-09, but has gained serious momentum starting in 2016-17, going 23-7, 27-5, 34-2, 24-7, 20-8, 24-7, 28-6, 23-6 before this season. The Cougars are largely led by two leading scorers, juniors James Perry (17.0) and Benjamin Lukacs (13.8), who combined for 47 in a 73-65 regional final win Tuesday over defending state D4 champion Woodside Priory.  

6 p.m. — D1 girls: Centennial-Corona (23-5) vs. Clovis (26-10)

NFHS NETWORK

In the fourth straight game of first-time state finalists, Centennial is led by one of the country’s most coveted sophomores in 6-7 forward Sydney Douglas, who last year started for national power Ontario Christian. She had 27 points and 15 rebounds in an 81-61 win over Rancho Christian in the regional final. She has plenty of front court help from Cydnee Bryant, a 6-4 senior signed to Kansas, who averages 16.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per game. Junior guard Armanyie Reed (13.7 ppg) and 6-foot sophomore Talithakoum Poialii-Hunkin (12.4 ppg) give Centennial plenty of more firepower. … Clovis won’t be intimidated by the Huskies, having played one of the toughest schedules in the state with losses to Open Division finalists Mitty and Ontario Christina on consecutive nights On Jan. 2 and 3., to go along with wins over D2 SoCal regional champion St. Joseph-Santa Maria (twice), while handing NorCal Open finalist Clovis West a 54-44 win. Clovis is led by Concordia University commit Milly Rojas and Long Beach State signee Sadie Sin. Rojas had 29 points including nine three-pointers and Sin added a triple double (11 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds) in a 76-59 regional final win over Central East-Fresno on Tuesday.   

8 p.m. — D1 boys: Damien-Laverne (31-7) vs. Folsom (29-6)

NFHS NETWORK

Eli Garner, a 6-6 shooting guard, is one of Southern California’s brightest stars. The team’s leading scorer had only 16 in a 48-41 regional final win over St. John Bosco, but helped hold the state’s top 2026 recruit Christian Collins scoreless the first half. Damien is after its third state title and first since 2022. Damien coach Mike LeDuc, who started in 1980, is state’s No. 2 winningest coach with 1,126 according to Cal-Hi Sports. … Folsom is 1-1 in state title games and coming off a 78-68 NorCal final win over the King’s Academy-Sunnyvale on Tuesday when Jack Shull scored 31 points and Joven Dulay added 24. Folsom’s 15-year head coach Mike Wall has won 341 games.  

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

10 a.m. — D4 girls: Palisades (16-13) vs. Faith Christian-Yuba City (33-1)

Lathrop’s Zakia Booker, center, and Aisha Wiseman, right, guard Faith Lauren Harris during the CIF Div. IV Girls Basketball NorCal Regional Championship at Faith Christian’s C.A. Summy Gym in Yuba City on Mar. 10, 2026. Faith Christian won 61-46. Harris plays for a state title on Saturday morning. | CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Palisades is making only its second state appearance and first since 1999. The Dolphins started the season 0-4 but have won four straight, including 54-38 regional title win over Godinez Fundamental when Riley Oku scored 18 points and Elly Tierney contributed 12. … Faith Christian, making its first state appearance, is led by one of the two-day event’s headliners, Lauren Harris, the national record holder in career three-pointers (739) who averages 31.2 points per game, which is fifth in the state. She had 47 with nine 3-pointers in a 79-75 regional semifinal win over Liberty Ranch-Galt. Coach Geoffrey Harris is 114-15 in four seasons at Faith Christian. 

Noon — D4 boys: San Juan Hills (21-14) vs. Sacred Heart Prep (20-11)

NFHS NETWORK

Two more first-time state finalists features a SJH team that is led by the trio of guards Rocco Jensen (20.9 ppg), Cameron Goltara (13.3) and Garrett Bremer (12.6). The Stallions average 27 three-point attempts per game and shoot at a 32% clip. Jensen has made a team-best 93. … Sacred Heart Prep won its first NorCal title, erasing a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win on two free throws with less than a second left by Alex Osterloh (21 points) in a 53-51 win over Half Moon Bay. Osterloh (13.4), a 6-3 senior, is the team’s leading scorer (13.4) and rebounder (5.9). First-year SHP coach Jeff Wulbrun is a former assistant at Stanford and Cal and head coach at University of Denver.  

2 p.m. — D2 girls: St. Joseph (17-15) vs. Sierra Pacific (24-11)

For the first time, two teams from the same section (The Central) meet for a state title. The Central Section is the only one of the 10 that can be slotted either to the North and South region. St. Joseph won the Southern California crown and Sierra Pacific in the North. St. Joseph, led by Ali Mayes (11.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Maava Sat (11.1, 8.3), along with Skylar Moscardi (12.6 ppg), is after a third state title. … Sierra Pacific, the 2018 D5 state champion, is led by the trio of guards Apojok Ayuen (15.7 ppg), Nyang Ayuen (14.9) and Lylah Love (10.6). The Golden Bears rely on ball pressure while averaging 14.0 steals per game. The teams have never met.  

4 p.m. — D2 boys: Bakersfield Christian (24-11) vs. SJ Memorial (27-7)

San Joaquin Memorial freshman Jaedyn Johnson with an outside jumper versus Riordan. Johnson helps San Joaquin Memorial into the state finals on Saturday. | Photo by Sam Stringer

NFHS NETWORK

It’s back-to-back All-Central Section finals. Bakersfield Christian won the Southern California crown, fighting back from a 10-point deficit to beat Palisades, 59-57 as 6-8 junior Taiwo Daramola had 28 points and 11 rebounds. He’s a big-time prospect. This is Bakersfield Christian’s first state appearance though it qualified in 2020 before the pandemic shut down the championships two days before. … San Joaquin Memorial had little trouble winning the NorCal title finals in a 74-44 win over Oakland Tech as Sajjin Sidhu (16.5 ppg) had 20 points and Dominick Olanrewaju added 19. Parker Spees, a 6-9 multi-skilled forward headed to UC Irvine and averaging 12.7 ppg, and 6-2 guard Ty Schalik (13.1 ppg) is another top player. … The teams have met six times since 2021 with SJM winning four times, though Bakersfield Christian has won the last two, including 61-59 in the CS Division 1 quarterfinals on Feb. 17.   

6 p.m. — Open girls: Ontario Christian (33-2) vs. Mitty (28-2)

Mitty 5-star junior All-American McKenna Woliczko is a McDonald's All-American and High School on SI Freshman and Sophomore Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024. Last season she tore her ACL in January. She and Monarchs are seeking their first State Open crown. | Photo: Dennis Lee

NFHS NETWORK

This will not only decide the state title, but quite possibly the national title. If it’s anything like the first meeting between the teams, a 96-87 double-overtime win for Ontario Christian on Jan. 10 in the premier game of the Kay Yow Showcase at Mater Dei-Santa Ana, the fans will be in for a treat. In that one, Ontario Christian’s Kaleena Smith, the nation’s top junior recruit, went for 50 points — the fourth time she’s gone for at least 50 — including her team’s final 11 in the second overtime to outlast the Monarchs, who led 73-61 with 4:08 left in regulation. Smith, a 5-6 guard, also had four steals and made 9 of 10 free throws, where OC won the game, making 23 of 25 (92%) and Mitty was 16-for-28 (57%). That was only the fourth game back for Mitty McDonald’s All-American McKenna Woliczko, coming off a torn ACL, but she had 25 points and 15 rebounds, while teammates Ze’ni Patterson (five three-pointers) added 21 points and Maliya Hunter and Devin Cosgriff added 13 apiece. The teams split two meetings last year. Mitty is making its state record 17th appearance in the state finals — it qualified in 2020 but the games were concealed due to the pandemic — and has won six state titles, but none at the Open Division, losing the last four consecutively. Ontario Christian, which also features top sophomore recruit, 5-11 forward Tatiana Griffin, is making its state-finals debut.  

8 p.m. — Sierra Canyon (29-1) vs. Salesian-Richmond (29-3)

Sierra Canyon forward Maxi Adams drives to the hoop against Notre Dame at the Intuit Dome. He hopes to lead the Trailblazers to a win Saturday, a state open crown and a mythical national championship. | Greg Fiore

NFHS NETWORK

Two programs with loads of state experience, both have won two previous state titles. Salesian will have its hands full with the nation’s top-ranked team that features Oakland native Brandon McCoy, a 6-5 shooting guard who was briefly enrolled at Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland as a freshman, before ending up at St. John Bosco-Bellflower. Ranked the No. 14 senior in the country by 247Sports, McCoy transferred to Sierra Canyon, the same school that produced NBA players Bronny James, Marvin Bagley III, Amari Bailey, Brandon Boston Jr., Ziaire Williams and KJ Martin, before this season. The defending state D1 champions already featured 6-7 Maxi Adams, a North Carolina commit, who along with McCoy are McDonald’s All-Americans, and also added Brannon Martinsen, a 6-6 wing and another Top 20 California recruit. BHe transferred from Mater Dei-Santa Ana. Meanwhile, the scrappy, defensive-minded Pride, coming off a gritty 59-54 overtime win over favored Riordan on Tuesday, is led by Stanford-bound Elias Obenyah, Carlton Perrilliat Jr, and Leon Powe Jr., a trio of talented 6-5 senior wings, along with a deep bench. Coaches Andrew Chevalier, of Sierra Canyon, and Salesian’s Bill Mellis have combined for nearly 1,200 wins. The teams have met just once, a 52-27 Salesian win in 2009.

FULL CIF STATE BRACKETS

BOYS

• OPEN
• DIVISION I
• DIVISION II
• DIVISION III
• DIVISION IV
• DIVISION V

GIRLS

• OPEN
• DIVISION I
• DIVISION II
• DIVISION III
• DIVISION IV
• DIVISION V