Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year candidate Kaleena Smith brings up the ball against the tough defense of Etiwanda during CIF Southern Section Open Division championship played on Saturday night in Ontario. Photo: Saturnino Photography.
Two free throws with 17.6 seconds left proved to be the big difference for the state No. 1 Knights in their 65-63 victory on Saturday night at Toyota Arena over state No. 2 Etiwanda. The Eagles certainly are not done, however, in their attempt to win a third straight CIF Open Division state title.
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A lot of hoops analysts will tell you basketball, and in particular girls high school basketball, is a game of runs, and not the kind that teams produce in baseball and softball, but the kind where basketball teams string together points when they have momentum on their side, and the 2025 CIF Southern Section Open Division matchup between top-seeded Ontario Christian and defending champion Etiwanda was just that.
In the end, it was Ontario Christian that put together two big runs and held off the one big Etiwanda run in the fourth quarter and then had just enough left in the tank to post a wild 65-63 victory in the Saturday nightcap at the Toyota Arena in Ontario that was played after the Open Division for the boys.
With the win, Ontario Christian (29-1) won its first CIF Southern Section championship of any kind and the first-ever section championship for the entire school.
“This was the ultimate goal, but we want state too,” said Ontario Christian head coach Aundre Cummings. “We’ve worked so hard, and I think we deserve both.
Tati Griffin impressed with 29 points for Ontario Christian in CIFSS title game win vs Etiwanda. Photo: Harold Abend.
“We’ll take this for now. We’ve done something the school hasn’t done in 45 years,” continued Cummings. “We’ll celebrate this and then we’ll collect our thoughts and understand the ultimate goal is to win state.”
State Freshman of the Year candidate Tati Griffin came up huge like she’s done more than once this season and finished with a double-double 29 points and 12 rebounds. Fellow State Freshman of the Year candidate Sydney “Bean” Douglas just missed a double-double after going tor 14 points and nine rebounds.
Kaleena Smith, the 2024 State Freshman of the Year and the leading candidate for not only State Sophomore of the Year, but Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year, was double and triple teamed by a swarming Etiwanda defense, but she still managed to go for 14 points and eight assists. Her three free-throws in the final 17.6 seconds provided the margin of victory.
Ontario Christian fell behind by nine points three times in the first quarter and trailed 20-14 after the first. The deficit was eight points before the Knights’ girls put together a 13-3 run to take a 29-27 halftime lead.
Trailing 30-29 after former state freshman, state sophomore and State Junior of the Year Aliyahna “Puff” Morris hit a three-pointer to open the second half, Ontario Christian went on a 14-2 run to take a 43-32 lead that got to 53-40 before Morris hit two free-throws to close out the third quarter with Ontario Christian holding a 53-42 lead.
From there, Etiwanda really cranked up its defense and went on a 21-6 run, and with 1:50 left the Eagles had a 63-59 lead, but it was at that point things got a bit crazy.
Griffin hit her fourth three-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to 63-62 with 1:31 remaining. After an empty possession by Etiwanda, Morris got a steal and Etiwanda head coach Stan Delus called time out with 41 seconds to set something up. A double screen got Morris an open look but her three-point attempt that would have dealt a serious blow to the chances for Ontario Christian rolled around the rim twice before falling off.
Ontario Christian got the rebound and was setting up for a go-ahead score when Etiwanda was called for a questionable foul against Smith with 17.6 seconds to go. She converted two huge free-throws to give the Knights girls a 64-63 lead.
Etiwanda (25-5) was not done but Morris missed a floater in the lane, and with 2.3 seconds left Etiwanda had to foul even though the game was essentially over. Smith made 1-of-2 free-throws and when she missed the second one the horn sounded, and the celebration began for Ontario Christian.
Morris finished with 20 points, including two three-pointers, plus four rebounds. Junior Arynn Finley added 14 points and five rebounds, and senior Shaena Brew had 10 rebounds. Senior McDonald’s All-American Grace Knox, slowed by more than one nagging injury that showed her inability to move at full speed, had nine points and seven rebounds.
Despite Etiwanda only getting six free throws all game and making five, compared to Ontario Christian getting 19 free-throws and making 17, meaning the Eagles were outscored by 12 on the charity stripe, and getting outrebounded 39-25, Etiwanda was still in a position to win. The Eagles also had the experience of being in this position for a fourth straight CIFSS Open title-game appearance, and Ontario Christian was in its first.
In spite of it all, Ontario Christian was able to turn back the defending champions in the biggest game in school history.
“Resilience, and I think the one word that defines this team is toughness,” responded Cummings to why he felt his girls were able to hold off Etiwanda. “Mentally, with our mental toughness we were challenged this game.
“The buy in of wanting to be coached tough finally set its mark and it finally paid its due,” Cummings continued. “So, I think that’s what pushed us through was being able to be tough and being able to coach the girls tough and tell them the truth, and not just what they want to hear, and today the truth set us free.”
The truth is Ontario Christian is going to be the No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern Regional Open Division when the seeds are announced on Sunday, and Etiwanda is going to be right behind them as the No. 2 seed. Update: That is what has indeed has happened.
That means the distinct possibly exists of a third meeting between the two Southern California heavyweights after Ontario Christian won by eight early in the season at the Harvard-Westlake tournament.
If that matchup does take place, it will once again test the Ontario Christian toughness because to beat a team like Etiwanda three times in one season will be a difficult challenge. The Eagles also know that two years ago they lost in this same game to Sierra Canyon and the one-and-only JuJu Watkins and that in the rematch they were the ones holding up the SoCal plaque.
Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend
