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ONTARIO — Ontario Christian junior Chloe Briggs has a new mentality after losing in the section girls basketball finals three consecutive years.

“It’s a terrible feeling and I just have this whole new mindset,” she explained. “I just need to take over and I need to finally get a ring. We’re going to win state this year.”

The sharp-shooting, left-handed guard took indeed over again Thursday night.

Briggs erupted for 20 points in the first quarter and finished with 40 for the second consecutive game of the CIF State SoCal Division II regionals to lead the host Knights past Pacifica Christian 69-58 in a second-round game.

Briggs also scored 40 points in a 67-53 win against Del Norte in first round Tuesday.

“She’s unguardable,” Ontario Christian coach Matt Tumambing said. “She likes to pass and facilitate but we talked about her being really aggressive and the last couple games she’s taken over.”

No. 2 seed Ontario Christian (31-4) will play host to No. 6 Sage Hill in the regional semifinals Saturday. The Lightning edged host Long Beach Poly 42-39 on a 3-pointer from the corner by sophomore Zoie Lamkin with five seconds left in another game Thursday.

Last season, Sage Hill beat Ontario Christian 62-56 in the CIF-SS Division 3AA section final at Sage Hill.

“We really want to see Sage Hill,” Tumambing said of the semifinals. “Last year’s final, we gave it to them. They’re a great team but with the pieces we have this year, we feel we can really battle with them.”

Ontario Christian, the Division 2A runner-up to Santiago Corona last weekend, never trailed Thursday and led by as many as 14 points in the second half before the Division 4A champion Tritons (27-6) surged toward the finish.

Aliso Niguel transfer Shayla Gillmer (13 points, 10 rebounds) helped seal the victory with a putback basket to give Ontario Christian a 64-56 lead with 1:07 left.

Pacifica Christian star freshman point guard Addison Deal, who had 13 points despite playing with an injured wrist, answered with a layup but the Tritons didn’t scored again and were forced to foul to stop the clock.

“That was huge,” Briggs said of the putback by Gillmer, a BYU-bound senior who was slowed in the section final by an ankle injury. “I’m just so thankful and proud of her for playing. Her ankle is still swollen. She’s hurt and she’s giving it her all.”

Briggs made four of her seven 3-pointers in the opening period to help the Knights take a 25-16 lead. After scoring 28 points in the first half, she opened the third period with another three.

She made 7 of 16 shots from beyond the arc but also scored from the mid-range, drives and on 5 of 9 free throws.

“She has a deep bag (of tricks),” Pacifica Christian senior Jamie MacKay said. “I knew Chloe Briggs was good but man, I did not think she was that good. She’s amazing.”

Senior center Ava Carter of Pacifica Christian also impressed with a season-high 25 points and 14 rebounds. She led a squad that competed in the Division 4A regionals last season and won its first section title last weekend.

“We don’t let one game define us,” Pacifica Christian coach Chyanne Butler said. “Sky is the limit for each and every one of us, with or without basketball. I want them to be strong women at the end of the day and I’m just proud of them for the season overall.”

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