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After stealing the ball Sage Hill’s Amalia Holguin goes to the basket past Sophia Ross of Carondelet Friday night at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. (Photos courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone).
Sage Hill’s girls basketball team made a late run Friday night, but fell short, losing to Northern California champion Carondelet 51-48 in the CIF State Division I championship game Friday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The Lightning was trying to bring home the second state title for the program. Sage Hill won the Division II crown in 2022.
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“We missed a lot of uncharacteristic free throws and layups today, but Carondelet played a really strong game, they had some players that decided to play really well, it was just a tough game to lose and we’re just a little heartbroken about it but I think this team will be a much better team next year and they will be resilient and hopefully we will see them back in the same spot next year,” Sage Hill Coach Kerwin Walters told OC Sports Zone in an telephone interview about an hour after the game.
Sage Hill made just 4 of 14 free throws (28.6 percent) and 19 of 62 field goals (30.6 percent). The Lightning made 2 of 16 field goal attempts in the second quarter.
“Four for 14 is really uncharacteristic, we’re usually in the 70 to 75 percent range,” Walters said. “To be basically in the 30’s is not normal.”
Carondelet (30-6) made 8 of 11 free throws (72.7 percent) and 17 of 53 field goals (32 percent). The Cougars were led by Celeste Alvarez who had 11 points and 14 rebounds; Sophia Ross, who had eight points and Layla Dixon who had six points and eight rebounds. Carondelet led 24-18 at halftime.
Amalia Holguin scored 21 points and made 4 of 8 3-point field goals to lead Sage Hill, which captured the CIF Southern California Division 1 title Tuesday night with a 52-41 victory over Windward. Kamdyn Klamberg added 13 points and five rebounds, Addison Uphoff eight points and six rebounds and Eve Fowler four points and nine rebounds for the Lightning (23-12).
“I thought Addison Uphoff was big, she did a great job physically going down in the lane getting and one’s and I thought Alyssa Cuff rebounded really well and so did Isabella Rose, I thought they both rebounded really well and their energy was great,” Walters said.
The Lightning were able to rally from a five-point deficit after three quarters to take the lead 48-47 on a layup by Klamberg with 1:03 remaining in the game but Carondelet regained the lead and moved ahead 51-48 on two free throws by Smith with 11 seconds left.
Sage Hill was unable to convert on a 3-point attempt as time expired.
“In the third quarter, we tried to get better and the fourth was OK, but overall, we just got got to do a better job of shooting the ball and making free throws and layups but these are moments right now for all of our girls, it’s the first time really being in an environment like this and I think the next time they’re here, they will be very calm, very patient and very consistent,” Walters said.
The coach praised the accomplishments of his team.
“My message to the team was this loss doesn’t define us or define them,” he said. “I’m really proud of them from where we started to where we ended is a completely different team, I think the future is bright for them and there are amazing things in the upcoming year.
“I love this team, I think they’re amazing young ladies, and I could not have imagined a season without them.”
(NOTE: Stats provided by CIF State media office; story written from OC with photos courtesy Mark Bausman for OC Sports Zone in Sacramento).
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com