CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
SATURDAY
BOYS BASKETBALL DIVISION II
Foothill (31-3) vs. Elk Grove (27-6), 4 p.m., Golden 1 Center, Sacramento
Live coverage: Spectrum SportsNet
Outlook: Foothill and Elk Grove make their CIF State Championships boys basketball finals debuts.
Both teams lost in the semifinals of their CIF section playoffs. Foothill lost to Long Beach Poly in CIF Southern Section Division 2AA. Elk Grove lost to Grant of Sacramento in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2.
Foothill in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs defeated Francis Parker 67-59, Carlsbad 96-95 in triple overtime, and Rancho Cucamonga 69-64 in the first three rounds. The Knights beat Los Altos 46-41 in the regional final Tuesday night.
Elk Grove in the CIF Northern California Regional defeated Clovis East 57-50, San Ramon Valley 59-55, Vanden of Fairfield 42-40 in the first three rounds, and in the regional final beat Branson 60-54 on Tuesday.
Elk Grove senior Ameere Britton (6-2, G) is averaging 18 points, six rebounds and five assists a game. Britton scored 25 points in the regional finals win over Branson.
The Thundering Herd’s DaJon Lott, a 6-8 senior forward, is averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds a game. He scored 17 points with 14 rebounds in the win over Branson.
Foothill is a senior- and guards-led team. Senior Cruz Billings (5-8, G) scored 14 points in the win over Los Altos, including eight points in the final 90 seconds of the second quarter. Senior Mikey Mazurie (6-6, G) scored 13 points against Los Altos.
Cruz Billings (2), right, of Foothill reacts after scoring in the closing seconds of the first half in a game against Los Altos in the Division II championship game of the CIF Southern Regional boys basketball playoffs at Foothill High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
In the Knights’ win over Rancho Cucamonga in the regionals semifinals, senior Jacob Horton (5-10, G) scored 17 points with seven rebounds before fouling out early in the fourth quarter, senior Bryan Bernhard (6-7, F) scored 15 points and junior Carlo Billings (5-11, G) scored nine points with nine rebounds.