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CIF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS

GIRLS BASKETBALL FINALS

Tuesday

DIVISION I

Windward (22-10) at Orangewood Academy (24-9), 6 p.m.

Outlook: No. 2 seeded Orangewood Academy has advanced to its second SoCal final and first since losing to Mater Dei in Division II in 2017. No. 4 Windward reached the final by knocking off top-seeded Rosary 80-72 in overtime and retooling after the departures of star Juju Watkins (Sierra Canyon) and Coach Vanessa Nygaard (Phoenix Mercury of WNBA).

Orangewood Academy features a versatile duo in Washington-bound senior Hannah Stines and fast-rising junior Jayionne Brown. Both are tall guards/forwards who dribble and rebound well and defend post players. In a 74-60 win against Bishop Montgomery in the semifinals, Stines and Brown combined for 37 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists.

Brown is averaging 21 points and 13.6 rebounds in the regionals.

Windward is led by junior guard and Princeton commit Skye Belker and three experienced seniors. Belker scored 27 points against Rosary to lead the Wildcats to their third consecutive win against going 0-3 in the CIF-SS Open playoffs.

“They never give up and have lots of momentum going into this game,” Rosary coach Richard Yoon said of Windward, a three-time state champion.

The winner will meet either Salesian College Preparatory or St. Ignatius in the state final Friday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento at 6 p.m.

DIVISION II

Sage Hill (25-10) at Santiago Corona (24-9), 6 p.m.

Outlook:The sixth-seeded Lightning will face the No. 1 Sharks in a pairing of first-time regional finalists.

Sage Hill has won three consecutive games, including two tight wins on the road, since losing to Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Division 2AA final.

The Lightning are led by versatile sophomore forwards Emily Eadie, Kat Righeimer and Annabelle Spotts and Penn-bound point guard Isabel Gomez. Sophomore guard Zoie Lamkin made a game-winning 3-point in the final seconds against Long Beach Poly in the second round.

Eadie emerged this winter as the team’s most improved player and is averaging 15.3 points in regionals. She had 22 points and 15 rebounds in a 61-56 victory at No. 2 Ontario Christian in the semifinals.

Righeimer is a consistent player while the 6-foot-2 Spotts has shown her scoring potential in regionals  She had a career-high 17 points at Long Beach Poly.

All three forwards rebound, defend and pass well.

Santiago rallied from an early-deficit to beat visiting Ontario Christian 69-65 in the CIF-SS Division 2A final. The rising Sharks don’t have a senior but feature four strong guards in freshmen Tierra Taylor and Jayda Cobbs and sophomore Rylee Ghent.

Ghent averages a team-high 15.5 points while Cobbs averages a team-best 5.6 assists.

Hustling junior McKinley Willardson leads the Sharks’ post players and averages 8.6 rebounds. Junior Sierra Macias is another player to watch.

“Santiago has some quick, explosive guards,” said Santa Margarita coach Seyram Bell, whose beat Sage Hill and lost to Santiago. “Sage has some strong guards … (and) they have a good balance with their post play.”

“Should be a fun, competitive game,” she added.

Santiago, much like Windward, has retooled after losing a top transfer in Londynn Jones (Centennial Corona) after the 2019-20 season.

Sage Hill continues to be driven by the legacy of Kobe Bryant and his Mambas’ youth team team. The Lightning feature four former Mamba players.

The winner plays either San Joaquin Memorial or Antelope in the state final Saturday at 2 p.m. at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

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