Long Beach Poly’s girls basketball program, led by head coach Carl Buggs, starts the 2024-25 season with 199 straight league wins, just 20 short now of the state record. Photo: the562.org.
All of the Cal-Hi Sports state records in girls basketball are updated and ready to go before teams begin playing games later this month to start the 2024-25 season. Here’s a recap of the new additions, led by Class of 2027 phenom Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian, and a look at those schools moving up on all-time state lists for league win streaks and consecutive league championships.
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It only took a few games into the 2023-24 season to see what kind of impact that incoming freshman Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian was going to have on the California high school girls basketball scene.
In four of Kaleena’s first eight games for the Knights, who had graduated Chloe Brooks from their previous team after Brooks had scored a new CIF Southern Section career record (and moved to No. 3 all-time in the state) with 3,474 points, she scored more than 40 points in four of them. The capper was in a 136-29 rout of Woodcrest Christian (Riverside) when Smith scored 55 points. That wasn’t even her season high. That came in a similar ridiculous rout of 132-21 over Linfield Christian of Temecula with 62 points. The 55-point outing doesn’t make the all-time state list, but the 62-point outing is on.
Freshman Kaleena Smith dazzled as a scorer and playmaker for Ontario Christian throughout her freshman season. Photo: Harold Abend.
Smith also gained a single-game state record listing for making 11 three-pointers in that romp vs Woodcrest Christian, but it was her single season total of 179 three-pointers that gave her the first of what could be many state records. Kaleena broke the previous state record of 169 set in 1992 by Danielle Viglione from Del Campo of Fair Oaks.
When her season was complete, Kaleena finished first in the state for points scored with 1,153 in 33 games and a 34.9 per game average. Her points are now listed ninth in state history and her scoring average is on the all-time state list as well. She also ended the season first team all-state and State Freshman Player of the Year.
There was another freshman — Jaylene Hughes of Spring Valley Mt. Miguel — who was reported on MaxPreps with a higher scoring average than Smith, but those totals have not been accepted for state record consideration due to questions we have about the stat-keeping. School officials there are more than welcome to give us a call at some point to clear them up.
Besides Kaleena Smith’s three-pointers single season record, there were several others during last season who gained new state record listings for long distance shooting. The list of those includes:
Alex Facelo (Pinewood, Los Altos Hills) 118 for season and 12 in one game.
Lauren Harris (Faith Christian, Yuba City) 167 for season and 11 in one game.
Isabel Tan (Cosumnes Oaks, Elk Grove) 367 for career, 114 for season and 12 in one game.
Kyara Walter (Mission Hills, San Marcos) 122 for season and 333 for her career.
Among those players, only Lauren Harris will be back this season for her team. She will be a junior.
FOR THE GOLD CLUB LIST OF ALL-TIME STATE CAREER, SINGLE GAME AND SINGLE SEASON SCORING LEADERS, CLICK HERE.
FOR THE GOLD CLUB LIST OF ALL-TIME STATE CAREER, SINGLE GAME AND SINGLE SEASON REBOUND, ASSIST, STEALS & BLOCKS LEADERS, CLICK HERE.
Teams Streaking Along In Their Leagues
Since the ultimate accomplishment for any team is winning a CIF state championship, the seventh title earned by Bishop Montgomery last March in Sacramento with a win against Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland in the D1 championship was the most significant of the 2023-24 season. That moved the Knights past Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, Pinewood of Los Altos Hills and Long Beach Poly on the all-time list of schools with the most state titles. The third-place Knights now only trail Brea Olinda (with 10 state titles) and St. Mary’s of Stockton (eight).
Kyara Walter graduated from Mission Hills in the top five in the CIF San Diego Section for making three-pointers in a career, but her former teammate (Jessica Grant) is still the state record holder . Photo: Mark Tennis / Cal-Hi Sports.
Long Beach Poly hasn’t won a CIF state title since 2014, but the Jackrabbits under longtime and still current head coach Carl Buggs have continued to dominate in the Moore League. They extended their current league win streak after last season to 199 in a row since 2008. Poly won’t break the state record of 219 set in 2018 by Troy of Fullerton this season, but could tie it after their final league game in two seasons.
There are four other girls basketball programs that also have league win streaks of more than 100 games to start this upcoming season. After Poly at 199, the leader after that would be Mark Keppel of Alhambra with 140 straight league wins since 2013. Ater that there’s Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa with 113 league wins in a row since 2014 and Caruthers with 111 league wins in a row since 2013. Archbishop Mitty isn’t yet out to more than 100 straight league wins but with 92 in a row in the highly regarded West Catholic Athletic League that may be more impressive than any of the others.
The other state record category involving league dominance, most consecutive league titles, also has many current streaks that are ongoing.
Under longtime head coach Ellis Barfield, Lynwood just keeps winning league titles. The Knights had a loss last year in the Gateway League to Downey High, but in the end avenged that loss and won another league championship. That’s No. 28 in a row for Barfield’s girls. In fact, one more league title for the Knights this season will move them into a tie for the state record of 29 in a row by Troy.
After Troy and Lynwood, the next two on the all-time state list for most consecutive league titles shows a tie for third between Vanden of Fairfield and Etiwanda. They have both won 24 straight league crowns. Etiwanda, of course, will be gunning for its third straight CIF Open Division state title this season.
Long Beach Poly has won 18 straight Moore League titles to go with its 199 straight league wins, but is further down the all-time state list in that category. In addition to trailing Lynwood, Vanden and Etiwanda for current league title streaks, the Jackrabbits also are behind Clovis West of Fresno. The Golden Eagles have won their league title for the past 19 straight seasons.
Two others that are currently moving up the all-time list for winning league titles in a row are Mater Dei of Santa Ana (17) and Mark Keppel of Alhambra (14).
FOR THE GOLD CLUB LIST OF ALL-TIME STATE TEAM RECORDS FOR GIRLS BASKETBALL, CLICK HERE.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle.
