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GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Previews of Saturday’s game

DIVISION II

Sage Hill (26-10) vs. San Joaquin Memorial of Fresno (27-6), 2 p.m., Golden 1 Center, Sacramento

TV: Spectrum News 1/Spectrum SportsNet (live)

Outlook: The Lightning face a streaking and well-rounded opponent in their first state final. The Panthers, the Division 1 champion from the CIF Central Section, ride a 17-game winning streak into their first state championship game.

Northern California’s No. 5 seed features strong post players in junior Meadow Roland (25 ppg, 10 reb.) and freshman Alexis Swillis (12 ppg, 12 reb.). Roland has shown the ability to play away from the basket while Swillis possesses an excellent post-up game. Both players also excel blocking shots.

The duo compliments a cast of guards that including high-scoring freshman Saiya Sidhu (14 ppg).

Sage Hill, the sixth seed in SoCal, counters with its versatile, sophomore forwards and senior point guard Isabel Gomez.

Sophomore forward Emily Eadie (15 ppg, 11.9 reb) leads the Lightning in scoring and rebounding. She forms a rising tandem with sophomore forward Kat Righeimer (12.2 ppg, 6.1 reb), who made a game-winning shot in the final seconds of SoCal final at Santiago of Corona.

Eadie and Righeimer have expanded their game this season to include the 3-point shot but also attack the basket off the dribble and pass the ball well. The latter skill could help the Lightning handle the press, something San Joaquin Memorial has shown.

The Penn-committed Gomez averages 13.3 points and 3.2 assists.

Emerging sophomore forward Annabelle Spotts figures to be a key player in the duel against the post players of San Joaquin Memorial. She guarded Santiago center Mckinley Willardson earlier this week and produced eight rebounds and a block.

Sophomore guard Zoie Lamkin averages 7.3 point for the Lightning and also made a last-second 3-pointer in the second round of regionals at Long Beach Poly.

All four of Sage Hill’s sophomore starters played for Kobe Bryant’s highly-competitive Mambas youth team at the time the Lakers great and eight others died in a 2020 helicopter crash.

Sage Hill and San Joaquin Memorial have defeated two of their three common opponents but the Panthers have been more impressive. The Lightning defeated Santiago and Nipomo in the SoCal regionals by two and 11 points, respectively, while San Joaquin Memorial earlier beat the teams by 24 and 48 points, respectively.

“Memorial is very big and long and young but I think if Sage Hill controls the game tempo, they should get them,” Santiago coach Michael Mitchell said.

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