The big three for Ontario Christian pose for a picture after taking down Etiwanda. From left, it’s Kaleena Smith, Sydney Douglas and Tatianna Griffin. Photo: Harold Abend.
Preseason state No. 4 Knights take down No. 1 Etiwanda, 74-66, on Saturday night in Studio City to win Harvard-Westlake Invitational. First slate of games shows just how much of an impact incoming freshman Sydney “Bean” Douglas is going to have this season, especially paired with scoring phenom Kaleena Smith. We also had a big win on the day by Francis Parker of San Diego.
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When we released the preseason girls hoops state rankings last week and Ontario Christian only garnered the No. 4 spot to start just like they finished in the Final Expanded TOP 40 last season, some questioned why?
With the potential the Knights have with 2023 Cal-Hi Sports State Freshman of the Year Kaleena Smith being joined by highly touted 6-foot-6 incoming freshman phenom Sydney “Bean” Douglas, and fellow budding freshman 5-foot-11 power forward Tatianna Griffin joining her, some felt the team should have been considered for the top spot.
Ontario Christian was absolutely considered for the top spot, but the preseason rankings we’ve done for more than 40 years in many sports have always been a starting point and not a prediction of how season is going to end. More proof was needed for the Knights’ girls to be given a No. 1 ranking.
Grace Knox takes a shot during a game last season for Etiwanda. Photo: @ballislifewbb / Twitter.com.
It only took three games but prove themselves the Knights certainly did in the title game of the Harvard-Westlake Invitational in Studio City on Saturday night with an impressive 74-66 victory over Etiwanda.
In case you haven’t been following the state the last two years, Etiwanda has won back-to-back CIF Open Division state championships. Not only were the Eagles the Cal-Hi Sports top team in the preseason rankings, but was No. 1 coming into this season not only in California but in every major national ranking as well.
As expected, it was the three-headed monster of Smith, Douglas and Griffin that did the bulk of the damage, and in doing so gave us an indication of things to come over the next three-plus years if they stay together. College coaches were on hand for the Saturday showdown, including Dawn Staley of South Carolina.
Douglas led Ontario Christian with a double-double 23 points and 11 rebounds plus two assists and a steal. She showed her versatility by making two three-pointers in the game.
Smith did a lot of dishing to Douglas and Randolph, so she was under her usual scoring average with 20 points, but “Special K” as she’s being called in California girls basketball circles, nailed four three-pointers, including two from near NBA-range, plus she had six assists, four rebounds and a steal. Griffin had a double-double 12 points and 13 rebounds with two steals and an assist and was dominant in the paint.
“We hadn’t beaten this team ever. This is the first time in school history,” remarked first-year Ontario Christian head coach Aundre Cummings. “So, the anticipation of the girls had us fired up from the start.
“We’ve had a few girls that have been able to go to college, and historically we’ve had a few pretty good teams,” Cummings continued. “But this is a school that is right up the street from us, and we wanted this game really bad because these girls worked so hard for it.”
Ontario Christian (3-0) took charge right from the start and never trailed. Douglas scored off an offensive rebound to give Ontario Christian a 2-0 lead that was stretched to 11-2, and at that point it was apparent Etiwanda was going to have a problem with the young Knights.
At one point early in the opening quarter, Griffin and Douglas had seven rebounds to three for the entire Etiwanda team. That type of dominance on the boards leveled out but it still ended up as a 41-29 a Ontario Christian advantage for the game.
Rebounding was not the only place the Knights dominated. Ontario Christian converted on eight three-pointers and Etiwanda hit on five, but three of those treys came on the last nine points by the Eagles, two by 2023 Cal-Hi Sports State Junior of the Year and Cal-bound Aliyahna “Puff” Morris and one by junior Arynn Finley, but at that point Etiwanda trailed 72-57 with less than two minutes to play.
Ontario Christian only had one tally during that time period, a basket by Douglas on a feed by Smith, but by that point the game was all but decided other than the final margin being a little closer than the level of dominance by Ontario Christian indicated.
After the Knights opened their early 11-2 lead, the Eagles stabilized a bit and only trailed 23-15 after one quarter. It was at that point that Smith really began to assert herself. A three-pointer stretched the lead to 30-18. A basket by Etiwanda junior standout and LSU-committed 6-foot-3 senior Grace Knox was followed by an NBA-range three-pointer by Smith to make it 33-20 Knights. The teams went back and forth the rest of the second quarter but another NBA trey by Smith at the end of the half gave Ontario Christian a 42-26 lead, and at that point it was pretty much all Ontario Christian.
Knox had the first two baskets of the second half and Etiwanda scratched and clawed its way back to trail 50-41, but a basket by Douglas keyed a 7-2 Knights’ run to end the quarter and the lead was 57-43 entering the final period.
Etiwanda had one final good run, and with just under five minutes remaining, the Eagles cut the lead to 61-52 on a three-pointer by sophomore Aliyah Phillips. However, Douglas answered with her second three-pointer and that keyed a 7-0 run and with a 68-52 lead with less than three minutes left, that foreshadowed the outcome.
Ontario Christian sophomore Dani Robinson connected on two three-pointers and added 13 points, all in the second half, plus four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Senior transfer Alanna Neale chipped in with six points and five rebounds.
If there was one questionable area for Ontario Christian it would be depth, as only the five starters scored, but that problem was just as big for Etiwanda as only six players scored, and other than Knox and Morris, the other four players only tallied 20 points.
Etiwanda (2-1) was led by Knox with a game-high 30 points and 10 rebounds with two blocks, a steal and assist. Morris, playing with a taped right wrist, added 16 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. No other Eagles’ player was in double-figure scoring.
Ontario Christian can savor the victory over Thanksgiving before leaving for Texas where it opens the Nike Hoopfest in Dallas with nationally ranked Duncanville, and then faces another solid Texas power, Monterey of Lubbock.
Etiwanda is also at the Nike Hoopfest where it opens with Texas Cypress Springs and then squares off with Duncanville.
“We take humility, we continue to do what God is here, and just continue to build on this and continue to improve,” said Cummings about what his team takes from this win. “We’re on our way to Texas next week so we’re hoping this will translate to what we do there too.”
Francis Parker players Gigi Ong (L) and Brianna Mendez both stood out in upset win vs Sage Hill. Photo: Harold Abend.
In other Saturday games at the Harvard-Westlake Invitational
Francis Parker (San Diego) 46, Sage Hill (Newport Beach) 41
Based on the preseason rankings with Francis Parker coming in at No. 26 and Sage Hill No. 7 this could be considered a pretty significant upset, but we’ve been watching what head coach Courtney Clements has been building at Francis Parker and have seen her players during the off season and when sources told us they would be one of the top teams if not the top team in the CIF San Diego Section we agreed.
Yes, Francis Parker lost 81-40 to Ontario Christian earlier this week, but we see now that team looks like it might be in a league of its own.
Now, we’ll see what the Lancers do at the La Jolla Country Day Sweet 16 where if they win their first game against Colorado Mountain Vista they will likely face preseason state No. 2 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) in the second round.
Francis Parker (2-1) only trailed once at 3-2 and led 15-12 after one quarter and then stretched it to 30-20 at the half. A basket by sophomore post Brieana Brown to open the second half gave Francis Parker its biggest lead at 32-20, but Sage Hill fought back to close it to 37-32 entering the final period. The Lightning closed to 40-38 on a pair of free-throws by freshman wing Addison Uphoff with 3:54 remaining, but they just could not get over the hump.
Freshman guard Brianna Mendez led Lancers’ players in double-figure scoring with 13 points including two three-pointers, junior Kaitlyn Raagas added 11 points (three three-pointers), and sophomore guard Gigi Ong, who was charged with guarding Sage Hill all state sophomore guard Amalia Holquin, added 11 points (one three-pointer) three steals and two assists, and held Holquin to eight points. Brown added eight points and freshman power forward Isabella Riddle had six points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Uphoff led Sage Hill (1-2) with 11 points.
Windward (Los Angeles) 76, St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 62
University of Central Florida-committed senior Samari Bankhead went for 29 points with four three-pointers and freshman standout and ESPNW top 50 freshman recruit Amel Cook added 20 points to power Windward (2-1) to the victory.
St. Joseph (0-3) was led by senior Mia Matautia with 20 points (four three-pointers) junior Maava Sat had 19 points and junior Ali Mayes added 15 points.
Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) 47, Centennial (Corona) 39
The Harvard-Westlake Invitational hosts got to 2-1 for its tournament and overall with a solid win over the girls from the Inland Empire.
For Harvard-Westlake, seniors Bella Spencer and Deanna Thompson had 19 and 13 points, respectively, and sophomore Hollan Van added 10 points. Thompson was the Wolverines’ leading scorer last season when they captured the CIF D2 state championship.
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
