Etiwanda knocks off Sierra Canyon girls basketball for stunning win in CIF SoCal Regional final
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CHATSWORTH — It had been 374 days since Etiwanda girls basketball last beat Sierra Canyon, which was also the last time the Trailblazers lost a game, period.
On Tuesday night, the Eagles did it again.
Etiwanda beat Sierra Canyon, 55-54, for the CIF State SoCal Regional Open Division championship and a spot in the state championship game, which is slated for Saturday in Sacramento.
Etiwanda’s Head Coach, Stan Delis, holds up the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final plaque after his team defeated Sierra Canyon, 55-54, at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Juju Watkins (12) walks off the court with her team after they lost to Etiwanda, 55-54, in the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s Kennedy Smith (11) embraces Majesty Cade as they celebrate their team’s win over Sierra Canyon in the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Izela Arenas (3) dribbles against Etiwanda’s Majesty Cade (14) during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Juju Watkins (12) tries to take a shot against Etiwanda during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Juju Watkins loses the ball during a layup attempt against Etiwanda during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s Kennedy Smith (11) fights through Sierra Canyon’s defense to take a shot during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda poses for a photo after defeating Sierra Canyon, 55-54, in the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon fell to Etiwanda, 55-54, in the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Izela Arenas dribbles across the floor during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final against Etiwanda at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Emilia Krstevski (1) takes a shot against Etiwanda’s Alexus Finley during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s fans cheer on their team during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s fans cheer on their team during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final against Etiwanda at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Juju Watkins takes a shot against Etiwanda during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s Sa’lah Hemingway, right, takes a shot against Sierra Canyon uring the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Crystal Wang looks towards the basket as she’s closely defended by Etiwanda during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s Aliyahna Morris (25) dribbles across the court during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final against Sierra Canyon at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sierra Canyon’s Mackenly Randolph (4) dribbles across the court against Etiwanda during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s Kennedy Smith, (11) dribbles against Sierra Canyon’s Leia Edwards during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s Head Coach, Stan Delus, during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Etiwanda’s Kennedy Smith (11) takes a shot against Sierra Canyon during the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional final at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
“I’m exhausted,” Eagles coach Stan Delus said. “This rivalry didn’t start last year. It started in 2018 and me and (Alicia) Komacki have been battling ever since.”
The Eagles’ Kennedy Smith led all players with 21 points and Aliyahna Morris added 17 points. Izela Arenas put up 17 points for Sierra Canyon and Juju Watkins had 16.
Watkins tied the score at 54-54 on a layup with 10 seconds left in the game. Morris made a free throw with 2.4 seconds remaining for the win.
“I don’t know why we played the worst game of our lives on the biggest stage of our lives,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komacki said. “I am proud that we fought through it. We knew we weren’t playing well and we didn’t give up and we didn’t point fingers.”
It’s the fourth time the two schools have met in the last two postseasons combined. Last season, the Trailblazers (31-1) lost to the Eagles (31-3) in the CIF Southern Section Open Division final, a game in which the USC-bound Watkins fouled out in the fourth quarter.
That was the last time that Sierra Canyon had lost. Since that game 374 days ago, the Trailblazers had become the No. 1-ranked team in the country and were en route to a perfect season.
Sierra Canyon avenged the loss last season by winning the CIF State Regional final by nine points over Etiwanda and went on to win the CIF State title.
The Trailblazers also beat Etiwanda 70-57 in this season’s CIF-SS Open Division final.
“We had a job,” Smith said. “We lost to them earlier in the season and I think we took that to heart. So we came here and put it all on the floor.”
On Tuesday night, Sa’lah Hemingway hit a free throw to give Etiwanda a brief lead, but Arenas put Sierra Canyon back out front, 7-5, with a 3-pointer. The Trailblazers put together a short run with an additional Mackenly Randolph putback and another three from Arenas for an 11-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Hemingway scored the first points of the second frame on a layup at the 4:30 mark. Sierra Canyon went on to score 15 points, including a deep 3-pointer from point guard Christy Reynoso with 10 seconds to go until halftime.
“The main thing was to not allow them to get out in transition,” Delus said. “If we slow down their tempo but at the same time we push the tempo, it messes their flow up.”
The Trailblazers held a 25-18 lead on the other side of the break. The Eagles hung tight and took over the pace of the game. Smith hit a 3 then made a layup to give Etiwanda a 32-29 advantage with less than four minutes left in the quarter, but Sierra Canyon came back to tie it at 38-38 going into the final quarter.
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Morris scored on a layup for an early edge in the final quarter and again the Trailblazers came back to lead briefly, this time on two Arenas free throws, but couldn’t permanently pull ahead.
“I’m happy for the work they put in,” Delus said of his players. “I don’t think people understand what it takes to play one of the toughest schedules in the country with all the top private schools in the country. We’re the only public school to do that. And now we’re going to a state championship.”
