CIF NorCal basketball: Folsom’s greatest girls season ends in double-OT loss to Salesian
In California high school girls basketball, the Open Division is the bracket with the elite teams, the best of the best. The Open is reserved for the programs that play a state-wide schedule with rosters dotted with those garnering college basketball scholarship interest.
The only two Sacramento-area teams selected for the CIF Northern California Open Division playoffs have been rivals Folsom and Oak Ridge, both doing so last year. Top-ranked by The Bee all season, Folsom expected to return to the Open and extend its greatest season.
It nearly happened.
Seeded fourth in this season’s NorCal Open, the Bulldogs played admirably in a double-overtime marathon that was as exciting as it was exhausting, a 76-70 setback to No. 5 Salesian of Richmond and the North Coast Section.
There were big shots and big stops. Players scrambled for the ball on the floor amid a tangle of arms and legs. There were dramatic drives and cool free-throw shooting, frantic coaches and spent players — exactly what teams at this level do.
“That’s what Open Division girls basketball looks like,” Folsom coach Lynn Wolking said. “It looked like we had the game and then they started hitting 3’s. That was a crazy, wild game. They had it, and then we had it, and then a double-overtime. Just a great game.”
Salesian (26-4) has been where Folsom (26-3) wants to go. The Pride has won Open games and has a state championship pedigree, winning the Division I title last season. The climb for Folsom was rooted in humble beginnings under Wolking, punctuated by a 1-29 record in league play in his first three seasons from 2010-13. That’s ancient history.
Folsom’s 18-game winning streak was undone by a Salesian team that was fast. The Pride attacked the basket in the third quarter and then hit 3-pointers to either hang on or extend extra periods. The Bulldogs’ only other loss to a California team was to Clovis West of Fresno, the No. 3 seed in the NorCal Open at 30-1.
Makiah Asidanya led Salesian with 27 points. Eryn Gardner and Madalyn Kanazawa had 12 points apiece for the Pride, who next play at top-seeded Piedmont (27-0) in a semifinal on Saturday.
Folsom will return a wealth of players for another run next season. One of the few key seniors is forward Charlotte Climenhage, headed to Nevada on scholarship after her spring graduation. She scored 17 points against Salesian, hitting 3’s or runners and also rebounding and firing passes. Junior forward and season scoring leader Kamryn Mafua had 16 points. Junior guard Ella Uriarte, a steady ball handler and passer, had 15 points. Sophomore guard Sophia Mindermann scored seven, but every one of them was big, the same for sophomore guard Dixie McClanahan, who had two big 3’s.
Folsom didn’t win its first NorCal game this season, but the Bulldogs had a season to remember. They cruised through the Sierra Foothill League at 10-0 and went 4-0 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs as the top-ranked team in the entire section, capped by a 58-53 victory over 21-time section champion St. Mary’s of Stockton last Saturday at Golden 1 Center, Folsom’s first section banner.
Wolking exited his team’s locker room late Wednesday looking spent. His eyes were watery. The beloved coach shared tears with his players.
“I told the girls that I loved them,” Wolking said. “We’re really proud of them. Had a wonderful season. Great group of girls. They are awesome.”
He added, “Couldn’t be more excited about where we are as a program and the type of kids we have, and the dedication that they bring, because you’re not going to be at this level without dedication and commitment to being the best you can be, and the chemistry we have. I’m really proud of what we’ve done.”
This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 10:36 AM.